


Breath of the Dragon

by 18lzytwner



Series: Wicked Third Series [2]
Category: Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-02 13:49:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 24,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15797805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18lzytwner/pseuds/18lzytwner
Summary: Elphaba is confronted with what she feared when the Dragon comes to collect. Can she protect Fiyero and the Emerald City from his wrath or will they fall in the attempt?  Fiyeraba and Aslinda!





	1. Chapter 1

With Glinda on her honeymoon, Elphaba soon realized that the Council, much to their chagrin, expected Elphaba to take over her duties. At first, she was nervous. Despite leading the Animals and succeeding in getting many to safety, running the entire country of Oz was not exactly the same thing. Then there was the wariness of the people.

One of the first things she had to do was to hold public court and hear the complaints of Ozians in business dealings or neighborhood issues. The first meeting there was hardly anyone who ventured to see the green woman. It was easy but it was disheartening that people were still avoiding her like the plague despite the fact that Glinda's evidence had been incontrovertible.

The next item was to attend Council meetings which were hostile to say the least. There were still staunch supporters of the Wizard and Morrible in the Council and the only way they could be removed was at the general election held the next year. It surprised her at how many still refused to speak with her despite the fact that they had proof of the Wizard's lies. She suspected that they were more anti-Animal and more pro-Wizard policy instead of actually liking the man himself. She hesitated to tell them that she was in fact the Wizard's daughter to see if that would smooth things over because she had no intention of upholding his policies.

"Mindy, what else do we have on tap today?" Elphaba asked as she collapsed into her chair in her office. Glinda's assistant was on loan to her whilst the blonde was away and when she got back there would be a hunt for the right assistant for the green woman.

"Financial reports and troop inspection so nothing fun," Mindy replied.

"I can see why Glinda picked you. Honest and to the point," Elphaba smiled slightly, the girl reminding her of herself. They were the same height and other than the shared brutal honesty tactics, the two differed physically. Mindy had red hair and very pale skin and weighted about thirty pounds more than the green girl. Not overweight by any means but certainly healthy.

"Thank you Miss," Mindy smiled.

"Please call me Elphaba when we're alone. I haven't been called my real name by many for so long, it's nice to hear it," the green woman said.

"Can do. Now the Royal Economy Advisor, Mr. Aziz, is going to want to speak about the state of things so you probably want to look these over," Mindy smiled and handed Elphaba a large stack of papers.

"Good thing I like to read," Elphaba smirked.

"He'll be here in two hours. We're due to inspect the troops after you are done with him but before dinner," the assistant explained.

"Ah I see. Where is Fiyero do you know? He knows more about inspecting troops and it would be good to have him assist me," Elphaba told her.

"I can track him down for you. I know he's still trying to smooth things over with the King and Queen," Mindy said.

"The Queen is surprisingly not the one I'm worried about," Elphaba conceded.

"Yes well when people try to kill you, it's hard to get past that, I would imagine," Mindy admitted.

"Yes the trust between you certainly goes out the window," the green girl smirked.

"I would think so," the assistant was about to go out of the office when there was shouting in the hallway and Elphaba immediately recognized it as King Haluk.

"Get away from the door Mindy," Elphaba ordered. The young woman backed away and the witch moved towards the door, her fingers crackling with magic.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a good thing that Elphaba had told Mindy to get away from the door as it flew open seconds later and it would have bashed the poor girl in the skull. There stood King Haluk and Fiyero was right behind him.

"Do we have an appointment?" The Wicked Witch tone returned to her voice and it scared her just how easily she could still slip into that mode of herself. Haluk froze, taken aback by the fact that the witch stood at the ready with her hands barely containing the magic they were supposed to control.

"No, we don't. I'm sure you're busy," Fiyero said, surprisingly catching onto her meaning faster than she expected. Elphaba was sure his meeting this morning was the result of this barging into her office.

"I have financial reports to look over and troops to inspect. Please come back later," she ground her teeth, without easing her tone.

"I forbid it!" Haluk was now regaining his composure and the meaning of the impromptu interruption was coming through.

"You forbid it? You have no say over what either of us do! We're grown adults and we're in love!" Elphaba held firm.

"Your father should have killed you when he had the chance!" The words left Haluk's mouth but he showed no signs of regretting them. Elphaba was taken aback slightly but she did not let it show.

"So are you going to do it for them then? My fathers were bastards who could not see past the ends of their own noses! Just like you! Now be gone from my presence and the Emerald City as fast as your horses can carry you or so help me you'll join them in the afterlife!" Haluk stood there surprised that she had the gall to say such words but he only narrowed his eyes at her. Then without a word, he pushed passed Fiyero and down the hallway.

Once he was out of sight, Elphaba collapsed onto the floor, exhausted from containing her magic for so long. Fiyero ran to her, as did Mindy.

"Are you all right Fae?" He asked, worried.

"I just told your father off and you're worried about me?" She gave him a look.

"Fae he obviously cannot understand our love. If he cannot accept it, then he does not get to share in it," Fiyero told her before gently kissing her forehead and pulling her close.

"Shall I call the Gale Force and make sure he's escorted out?" Mindy asked. The beautiful ring on Elphaba's finger had not escaped her and she quickly put two and two together that Fiyero had proposed and the King was not happy about it. She imagined the official announcement would come upon Glinda's arrival back in the Emerald City.

"No. Let's not make anything worse than it already is," Elphaba said.

"Too late," Fiyero commented as Gale Force soldiers came busting into the room.

"Are you all right Grand Vizier?" A soldier asked. Lieutenant Ash was right on his heels.

"It's all right. I'm afraid the King of the Vinkus is not interested in anything that I or Fiyero have to say," Elphaba tried to calm the situation down as Fiyero helped her up.

"Do you need protection?" Lieutenant Ash wanted to know.

"No, I'm fine. Please find Queen Adalet and bring her here so that I may apologize. My guess is that the King has left of his own accord," Elphaba smiled slightly.

"Yes ma'am. Do you need anything else?" Ash was obedient but he was uncertain of just how Elphaba was going to play things now that she held so much political power in her hands.

"Yes, for everyone to get back to work. I apologize for the interruption," she said. Ash nodded, clicked his heels together, gave a salute and left the room, the other soldiers with him following suit.

"Why don't I get you and the Prince some tea?" Mindy offered.

"That sounds great. I have a pounding headache," Elphaba said as Fiyero helped her to her desk chair.

"Bring some for my mother as well please Mindy," the Prince smiled.

"Of course. Back in a few minutes," the red haired girl promised. She was then out the door and down the hall wondering what Elphaba had meant by her fathers.


	3. Chapter 3

"What happened?" Queen Adalet asked as she entered Elphaba's office. She noticed that Fiyero was standing behind the woman and massaging her temples; pain was evident on her face and the Queen wondered just how often the younger woman got headaches.

"Father happened. He's lucky that Fae didn't blast him back to the Stone Age," Fiyero spoke up. Elphaba moved her hands to still Fiyero's so the three of them could have a conversation when she noticed the ring on the green woman's hand.

"I'm afraid my temper got the best of me and I told the King to leave. Regretfully I then proceeded to threaten him with bodily harm, well to be more accurate I threatened him with death. I want to apologize but I have very little doubt he would listen to me and I hope that you understand I would not ordinarily do such things," Elphaba explained.

"What provoked the encounter?" The Queen had a pretty good idea but she figured she'd let them tell her.

"I wanted to have lunch with the two of you and tell you that I have proposed to Fae and that she has accepted," Fiyero said.

"Ah and that started the incident then?" Adalet asked.

"Yes and in which your husband proceeded to tell Elphaba that he'd wished her father had killed her when he had the chance," Fiyero continued.

"That's when I said my regrettable choice of words," Elphaba finished.

"Dear, you have every reason to be upset. That was not something he should have said and he certainly deserves getting it thrown back in his face. His temper has been incredibly short as of late and I do not know what started it. Normally, he would think things through but that seems to have stopped the minute they claimed Fiyero was a traitor and that he'd been killed like one. I am sorry this has happened," Adalet heaved a sigh.

"All I've ever wanted was a family and now I've probably ruined my chance at that. Do you think that he would listen to my apology?" Elphaba asked.

"I'm more concerned about what he might do. Rash action is usually not followed by calm right away. He may rise up the army or worse," the Queen frowned.

"What could be worse than the army?" Fiyero gave her a confused look.

"This is not something that we have talked about my son but perhaps now is as good a time as any. The Arjiki have long held a connection with the magical creatures that used to roam the Vinkus. As their numbers dwindled, the connection was not as strong and that is when the other tribes attempted to make a power play for the throne. Of course they were thwarted by the military might of the Arjiki clan and their magical friends. Then the Wizard's laws went into effect and many fled or were killed. That is why Griffins no longer exist and as far as we knew dragons too. Needless to say when Avantador showed up, he gave everyone pause for concern," Adalet explained.

"Why wasn't I told this? I don't remember Griffins and Dragons as a kid," Fiyero said.

"The uprising occurred before you were born. Once it was crushed the leaders of the Griffin and Dragon clans would only meet with your father in secret. This way no one would know just how many of them were left and it turned out to be a good plan for a while when the Wizard's laws first took effect. Then they were somehow betrayed or perhaps the Gale Force was just too good at what they were doing, but either way, as far as everyone knew, the Griffins and Dragons were gone," his mother told him.

"Until Mestek found Avantador. It must have not been a very big secret as our good friend knew exactly where to find him," the gears in Elphaba's head were turning.

"Haluk may very well call upon Avantador to fulfill the promise his ancestors put down many years ago," Adalet cautioned.

"What was that?" Fiyero asked.

"Protect the King and Queen of the Vinkus against all enemies. Elphaba, I'm sorry to say, my husband believes you are that enemy," she said.


	4. Chapter 4

Fiyero and Elphaba tried to go about their day as if nothing had happened but they both knew that they were not hiding their concern as well as they usually did. Lieutenant Ash asked Elphaba after the troop inspection what was wrong and she told him that she just had a lot on her mind. Part of her wished that she could tell him but she didn't want to start anything she wasn't prepared to finish. She thought about telling Chistery but should the Flying Monkeys tell the dragon what had happened, it may have the opposite effect; instead of Elphaba getting burnt to a crisp, the Vinkus could be on fire. She could not and would not endanger the citizens that she had been charged with taking care of.

Queen Adalet left shortly after their meeting in an attempt to catch her husband before he did anything rash. Elphaba enchanted the horses on her carriage which should ensure she caught up to him. The green woman also sent Chistery along with four of his brothers to help the Queen should she need it.

Now as they readied for bed and the Flying Monkeys had not sent word, Elphaba paced near the large windows that went almost the entire length of the exterior wall of their suite, only stopping due to the fireplace opposite the bed. There was just enough wall in-between the windows for structural purposes and of course curtains to keep out the night's chill. The rest of the room itself was a fairly large one that held their bed, Quoxwood bookshelves along the wall shared with the inside of the Palace, a small Quoxwood table with matching chairs, some overstuffed chairs (which matched the curtains, much to Glinda's delight), and a full bathroom. Fiyero came out of said bathroom after finishing brushing his teeth and managed to pull her to a stop by wrapping his arms around her.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," he said.

"How can you be so calm?" She gave him a look.

"I'm not calm at all but you don't need me all worked up on top of what you've got going on in your head," Fiyero admitted. Elphaba nodded and put her head on his shoulder.

"What have I done?" She asked.

"Nothing. You are you and my father is an idiot. If he seriously thought challenging the most powerful witch in all of Oz was a good idea then my mother was right and he needs to have his head examined. You could have killed him and at this point I'm not sure I would have tried to stop you," Fiyero told her.

"You don't mean that. You love your father," Elphaba said.

"I do but his behavior as of late has both my mother and I completely confused. I mean he is usually such a gentle, well-meaning soul and in the last few weeks he's tried to kill you and then tried to provoke you…" he didn't get a chance to finish as Elphaba pulled away from him. He was confused and watched her go to the bookshelf and open up the secret hiding place in which she and Glinda had stored the Grimmerie.

"What is it Fae?" He asked as he approached her.

"I think a spell may have been cast on your father," she told him as she brought the book over to the small table that was near the book shelves.

"Who could have done that? Only Morrible, you, and Glinda would have had access to him and the ability to do so. Even then, Morrible would have had access only when he came to visit the last time before the fall of the Wizard," Fiyero pointed out.

"Yero, Glinda and I are hardly the only ones with magic inside of Oz. There were plenty of students at Shiz trying to learn to sharpen their skills," Elphaba reminded him without looking up from the pages she was flipping through.

"So what are you thinking? That one of our own classmates enchanted my father?" He wasn't following.

"Not necessarily but that doesn't mean there isn't someone trying to influence the events leading up to what happened today. Had I not had enough restraint, I would have vaporized your father right where he stood which would have incited a war," Elphaba said.

"Someone who is out to get you and start a war; somehow I don't have a problem believing that," he heaved a sigh.

"You still love me anyway," she teased.

"This is true. I could never stop loving you," he smiled slightly and pulled her close enough so that he could kiss her temple.

"It still boggles my mind," Elphaba murmured, suddenly believing she found what she was looking for.

"My love? Why?" He asked.

"A discussion for another time, I'm afraid. I found the spell I was looking for. I cast this and it will tell me where there is a large source of magic. Hopefully it will lead to the person responsible for your father's odd behavior," she said, snapping her fingers. Her broom zoomed to her hand.

"All right. How about casting it in the morning? You're in your pajamas and until we hear from Chistery, I don't think we should go flying off into the night," Fiyero was trying to be reasonable. Elphaba frowned but knew he was right. Not getting any sleep would not be productive. She placed a bookmarker into the Grimmerie and then put the broom down. Fiyero then lifted her up and carried her to bed despite her protests.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning dawned and there was still no word from Chistery. Elphaba decided she was leaving at once to find out what had happened to her friends and who could be possibly casting spells on the King of the Vinkus. Fiyero wanted to go with her but she refused. Someone had to be here in case the Queen or Chistery returned. He quickly noted that Lieutenant Ash was more than capable and had Mindy tell the Lieutenant they were going. Fiyero strapped his trusty rifle to his back and the discussion was over. The two mounted her broom and they were off flying toward the Vinkus.

"Do you think it's a coincidence that the magic is emanating from the Vinkus and that my father had a spell cast on him?" Fiyero asked, clutching tightly to Elphaba. He hated flying on that broom.

"I don't believe in coincidences. Besides, being able to cast a spell from any further away would mean whoever cast it is more powerful than myself. I don't mean to sound boastful but I highly doubt that someone exists," she told him.

"Point," he agreed. The rest of the trip was spent scouting for the Queen and the Flying Monkeys. When they arrived at the border, Elphaba halted in mid-air. She scanned around and recast the spell she had cast back in the Emerald City.

"We're close. I'm concerned that we haven't found your mother or Chistery yet," she told him,

"You did enchant her horses. Maybe she's back at the Palace," Fiyero suggested. Elphaba shook her head. She highly doubted it. Something or someone must have interrupted them because even with the enchanted horses they would have had to slow when they came upon the King and his horse. She was about to zoom off in the direction of the source of magic when she got the feeling they were being watched.

"Scan the tree-line," she told Fiyero. He could see the hair on the back of her neck was raised and he swung the rifle off his shoulder. Holding it in his lap, he scanned with her. They saw nothing but Elphaba couldn't shake the feeling so she decided that their best bet was to go into the trees. They could easily lose what was watching them in there and it would offer them protection.

She made the move and that's when they heard something follow them. Fiyero turned his head and caught a glimpse of what was chasing them. His confusion was evident in his voice,

"It's Chistery!" The Flying Monkey had his teeth and claws bared; his eyes were pitch black, which was something he hadn't expected to see. Elphaba put the broom into a nose dive and Fiyero grabbed on tight. They were heading toward the ground at an incredible rate of speed and the Prince was thinking that Elphaba couldn't control the descent but he found out that he was wrong. At the last second, Elphaba pulled up enough to stop them from crashing into the ground and they zoomed along the ground for a little before coming to a halt. Fiyero leaned over and emptied the contents of his stomach.

Chistery had a hard time making the adjustment and he turned but not in enough time before he crashed into the ground. Elphaba dismounted and Fiyero moved right behind her, his rifle cocked. They two cautiously approached the downed Monkey and quickly assessed that he was unconscious. Elphaba hit him with her broom and he sat up albeit in pain.

"Chistery, why were you following us? What happened to the Queen?" Elphaba demanded answers. The Flying Monkey's head was spinning and he rolled to the side and did just as Fiyero had done moments before, emptying the contents of his stomach.

"Better?" Elphaba asked. He blinked a few times before saying,

"Miss Elphaba?" Noting his confusion, she looked at his eyes more carefully.

"His eyes are back to normal," Fiyero said and she turned to him.

"His eyes were completely black when he was charging at us," he explained.

"Powerful magic exists in these parts. Black magic. I suggest we get a move on before it finds us as I am most certain it found your parents," Elphaba told them.


	6. Chapter 6

They had spent about half an hour walking in the direction of the source of the magic before finding a cave to hide in. Elphaba had them go inside after Chistery cleared it, telling them it was empty. The green woman now paced and tried to figure out their next move.

"Chistery has anything come back to you? How you managed to get caught? Who cast a spell on you? Where the Queen is?" Elphaba pressed as she stopped her pacing.

"All I remember is the Queen stopping the carriage. She was worried that we'd overtaken the King and somehow not seen him. I sent my brothers in all directions to see if they could find a trace of anyone and then that is all I remember," he told her.

"Perhaps it is then possible, she continued onto the castle, when you did not return. Still I'm not sure I want to risk going back up in the air," Elphaba frowned.

"Why? What are you thinking?" Fiyero asked, concerned for his parents.

"Whoever cast the spell figured that someone from the Emerald City would be coming otherwise it would have been prudent to remain hidden. By enchanting Chistery, he or she risked capture, in order to slow or stop those coming from the City. We would be telegraphing who we are by continuing to fly toward the source of the magic," she explained.

"So what should we do? My parents are out there somewhere in danger!" Fiyero was getting anxious.

"I understand Yero, I do. I think the best course of action is to have Chistery fly toward the Palace. Should the Queen be there, he can bring her up to speed and perhaps lend us some reinforcements. If she is not there, then he could still perhaps bring reinforcements if he tells them that the Prince is in need of assistance," Elphaba said.

"I like the plan but I'm not sure how much the troops will trust Chistery. No offense," he said to the Flying Monkey.

"None taken," Chistery nodded, knowing full well that it was taking a long time to gain people's trust despite their best intentions to replace the image bestowed upon them by Morrible.

"Then you take my broom and go. Chistery can assist me," Elphaba was determined to move from their hiding spot and find the source of the magic.

"I don't like it but I see your point. All right. I'll fly this blasted contraption," Fiyero frowned. He didn't want to leave Elphaba but she made a valid point, Chistery was with her.

"Good. Now go, Yero. The sun will soon be against us," she pointed to the sky and the Prince made note of how it was already near midday. Ground troops were great but they took longer to get where they were going than someone who could fly. Fiyero cursed under his breath and shakily took off on the broom.

"Is he going to be ok?" Chistery wondered, thinking that the Prince wasn't so good at flying.

"He'll be fine. Come, just like old times," Elphaba smiled slightly and left the cave. The Flying Monkey smiled a little too and followed her out into the woods.

Fiyero flew towards the Palace at the only speed he felt comfortable with. Needless to say it was slower than how Elphaba would have flown but a fall from here would kill him. Suddenly he was shrouded in darkness and he looked up. It was then he almost fell off the broom.

"Avantador!" He couldn't believe it. The dragon didn't hear him and flew off toward the Palace. Fiyero swallowed the lump that rose in his throat and gunned the broom toward the castle as quickly as he could.


	7. Chapter 7

Elphaba froze in her tracks as pain rocketed through her head. She called out and dropped to her knees, grabbing her head and Chistery looked around before going to her side. He saw nothing and did not understand why the green woman was in so much pain.

"Miss Elphaba what is wrong?" He asked. She did not answer him and instead vomited before rolling over to lie down. Now the Flying Monkey was very concerned and he wished he knew what to do. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Elphaba replied to his earlier question.

"I guess Morrible wasn't the cause of my visions after all."

"What?" Chistery didn't understand. Since when did she start having visions?

"It seems our friend with the black magic is sending me visions. I have yet to figure out why he would send me helpful ones and still be trying to kill me at the same time," Elphaba clarified.

"Ah. What did you see?" He wanted to know.

"Avantador flies to the Vinkun Palace. Fiyero is in hot pursuit but I fear that he won't be able to stop what might be coming. We must abandon our search for this sorcerer and head for the Palace," she said.

"Isn't that just what he wants?" Chistery pointed out.

"And he wins this round. I cannot let innocents die because he sends the dragon to barbeque them," Elphaba responded. Chistery nodded in understanding and then realized their bigger problem.

"You gave Fiyero the broom," he said.

"I did but a decent size tree branch shall do in its place," she smiled slightly and Chistery quickly took to the skies and broke one off of a nearby tree. Elphaba quickly enchanted it and the two were off, racing towards the Palace.

Fiyero watched as Avantador landed just outside the Palace. The Prince was confused by his actions as he figured he would have torched the Palace already if he intended to do it. He was able to swoop in and try to land on the nearest balcony. Unfortunately, he wasn't very good at swooping and crash landed, landing in a heap and in pain.

"Prince Fiyero," Avantador nodded.

"Avantador, my good friend," Fiyero managed as he untangled himself. He could hear footsteps from inside the Palace and they were both soon confronted by Vinkun soldiers.

"Prince Fiyero!" A sergeant that the Prince recognized as Licek, quickly helped him up only to realize that his royal highness had broken his ankle.

"I need a medic!" The sergeant shouted and quickly one of the men went running.

"Are the King and Queen here?" Avantador asked as he watched the humans get Fiyero comfortable while waiting for assistance.

"They are not. I thought they were in the Emerald City," Licek said.

"They left and were heading for home. Elphaba enchanted the horses and we did not see them as we flew overhead," Fiyero told them.

"Where is Miss Elphaba?" Avantador sounded worried.

"Tracking down whoever made Chistery try to kill us over the forest. We were able to stop him and now he is with her," the Prince explained.

"It is not Chistery whom we must fear," Avantador clenched his clawed hands.

"I agree," Elphaba said as she and Chistery landed on the balcony.

"Fae!" Fiyero was glad to see her though he wondered why she was there and not hunting the one with the black magic. The doctor came running out and was about to have Fiyero taken back to the infirmary when Elphaba stopped him. She quickly conjured up a spell and fixed Fiyero's ankle. Those around her could hardly believe what they had just seen as the Prince pulled Elphaba in for a hug.

"There is evil afoot, Miss Elphaba and I believe it has Prince Fiyero's parents. I could sense the evil, all the way from my new home," Avantador was careful on how he worded his statement. Fiyero let go of his fiancée and she responded,

"I agree Avantador. We must do something but my guess is that your presence has drawn attention to the Vinkus. All eyes will be upon us now and we must fight together to stop whatever that evil is."

"Agreed. Now tell me about the enchantment of Chistery," the dragon said. Quickly, the green woman got right to it.

Meanwhile, news was spreading that the dragon had been spotted flying toward the Vinkus and Glinda and Asli received word that it was in fact true. The blonde quickly told Asli to return to the Emerald City and fortify the defenses while she would bubble over to the Vinkus and see what could be seen. They both hated to cut their honeymoon short but they had no choice. The very delicate balance that they had struck was in danger.


	8. Chapter 8

Elphaba and Avantador had been plotting most of the rest of the day, trying to figure out a way to lure the sorcerer from his hiding spot but they weren't having much luck as their main concerns always managed to get back to the dragon. Should he be enchanted like Chistery was, no one would be able to stop him. Now dark approached and they were no further along than before.

"Miss Elphaba! Lady Glinda is here!" A very excitable corporal rushed out to the balcony which Elphaba and Chistery had been speaking to Avantador on. Fiyero, since he was acting King whilst his parents were missing, had been handling matters of state most of the time.

"Please bring her and Fiyero," Elphaba smiled. The corporal nodded and rushed off.

"If Lady Glinda has travelled here, word of my presence has definitely spread. Perhaps it is best, I return to the safety of my home," Avantador suggested.

"I fear I will need your help defeating this sorcerer. Besides it is probably too late to leave. Whoever it is that is casting spells could be on their way here. We can't take the chance of you leaving and then being enchanted on the way home," Elphaba told him.

"I can fly much higher than you think, Miss Elphaba," he said.

"If he or she is in fact beaming visions into my head, then height will have nothing to do with it," she pointed out. It was then that Glinda and Fiyero arrived on the balcony and there was a quick exchange of hugs.

"Glad to see things haven't caught fire in my absence," the blonde said.

"We're not out of the woods yet, I'm afraid, Lady Glinda," Avantador told her whilst bowing his head.

"I don't like the sounds of that," Glinda gave Elphaba a look.

"It's a long story Lin. Sorry we disrupted your honeymoon," the green woman said.

"Well I'm starving and I can't do much thinking on an empty stomach," the blonde replied.

"It is just as well that we break up this session. The dark will allow me to hide and we can reconvene in the morning," Avantador suggested.

"Good idea. Stay safe my friend," Elphaba smiled.

"You as well Miss Elphaba," he gave her a nod before lifting off and flying toward the distant mountains.

"You think he'll be able to hide the whole night?" Glinda asked.

"We figure whoever sent me here is heading this way. It would be his or her shot at taking down the last remaining heir to the Vinkun throne. Then either using Fiyero's parents as puppets or taking the throne for themselves, the sorcerer could lead the Vinkus into war with not only their surrounding neighbors but the Emerald City. Having vast magical powers is still no replacement for man power," Elphaba said as she guided Glinda back inside. Chistery was the last one in and he locked the door behind him. They then moved to a small dining room off of the main one and Fiyero went to see about getting some dinner. His stomach was rumbling and Elphaba couldn't help but chuckle.

Once they were all seated and Fiyero promised dinner would be along shortly, Elphaba continued to explain their theory. With the King and Queen out of the way, Fiyero would be forced to take over command of the Vinkus until they returned. The green woman left out the part where they could be dead but she figured that Fiyero was probably trying to keep that thought from his mind. Should something happen to Fiyero, the country would be left with no leader and the traditional selection of a King would begin. However, it was not uncommon to have the one who defeated the ruling party, just take control of the country, especially if the winner could prove Vinkun heritage.

"So what's the play then? Dangle Fiyero out in the open and hope this crazy person tries something?" Glinda asked.

"I would really rather not dangle," Fiyero pointed out.

"I figure we won't have to dangle anyone. He or she will probably make themselves known in fairly short order. The dragon did not destroy the castle so he will be viewed as an ally of the Vinkun people but regrettably a signal to our crazy person, as you put it, that they have to do their own dirty work," Elphaba clarified.

"Ah I see. Well then might I suggest a backup plan?" Glinda wondered.

"What kind of plan?" Chistery spoke up. The Flying Monkey had been worrying about his brother monkeys and had mostly just been listening.

"Fight a war on two fronts. Our guy or gal doesn't know that Fiyero isn't the only one with the capability to lead the Vinkun people. Thought you could hide that gorgeous ring from me, didn't you?" The blonde looked right at her best friend. Elphaba looked down at her finger, having practically forgotten the ring was there. She never took it off.

"An excellent idea!" Fiyero smiled.

"Yero! You know how much I love you but we both promised we would wait until things had calmed down first. Oz is still trying to deal with me, a married me to a married you would be another thing they'd have to get used to. Besides what about your parents?" She pointed out.

"I know what we discussed but this could be a way to ensure that whoever this person is, they don't gain control of the Vinkus. Not only that, if we are married, then Avantador would be forced to come to the aid of the Vinkus, and that should override any enchantments," Fiyero smiled.

"I thought it was an honor bound thing," Elphaba was confused.

"Not exactly. That's what I've been handling all day," the Prince told her. She gave him a confused look.

"It's more like a blood oath," he explained.

"Blood?" Glinda frowned.

"Yeah, that's why I didn't bring it up earlier," Fiyero said as dinner was beginning to be served.

"What kind of blood oath?" Elphaba raised an eyebrow.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning dawned bright despite the prospects of what lay ahead for the Vinkus and possibly all of Oz. Elphaba had barely slept a wink after Fiyero explained the ritual that would need to take place in order for Avantador to be forever bound to the Vinkus and its new King and Queen. Fiyero had tried to get her to sleep but the plan that was in motion stayed in motion in the green woman's head all night long.

"Did you get any sleep?" He asked as the sun's rays came through the partially curtained window.

"Hardly. Here comes our dragon friend now," Elphaba heaved a sigh after easily spotting Avantador coming their way.

"If there was another way, you know I would do it in a heartbeat," Fiyero said as he climbed out of bed.

"This only works if Avantador agrees with it. He doesn't and everything falls apart. As it is, we are getting ourselves into dangerous territory," Elphaba shook her head and then headed out of the room and down the hall to the balcony where she and the dragon had talked last night. Fiyero dressed quickly and followed her, wishing he'd had time for a shower.

"That is quite serious business, Miss Elphaba," Avantador said as Fiyero was arriving on the balcony.

"I would not ask it if I had any other option. Fiyero and I will be married by his clerk in a secret ceremony in about twenty minutes. Then we must perform the ritual if we are to keep the sorcerer at bay," Elphaba told him.

"Forgive me Miss Elphaba but you are doing this in order to save a kingdom and a country full of people who have done their best to shun you and harm you in any way that they can. Now you are willing to commit to such an obligation in order to save those that have shown you little compassion. I do not understand your motives," Avantador admitted.

"I only aim to save Oz and her innocents. There is no doubt that I have been mistreated but to mistreat others in the manner which I believe this sorcerer is attempting to do is akin to murder. If this is what I must do to prove that I am not what Morrible and the Wizard made me out to be then I must do it. Glinda's evidence only goes so far and there are those that still wish me dead. If I cannot convince them with this act then nothing will convince them but I have to try. It is no longer about me and keeping me safe but it is about keeping the ones I love safe," she explained.

"Very well. I will do it. Just know that if it is not done properly the consequences are dire," the dragon said. Elphaba nodded, knowing full well what he meant. Getting it wrong meant certain death.

Meanwhile, a lone figure exited the forest, the cloak and hood they wore obscuring their facial features. They moved stealthily despite the large wooden staff they carried. With a low whistle, Flying Monkeys exited the woods on their mighty wings.

"Bring me the head of Miss Elphaba, no matter the cost. Kill anyone who tries to stop you," they ordered their winged companions. With only a nod, the one closest to the sorcerer took to higher heights and the others followed.

"What say we give them a little cover?" The sorcerer smirked and uttered words that most people would not understand. The sky quickly darkened and rain began to pelt down from the sky. The drops avoided them as if they knew better. Lightening flashed across the sky as they continued down the road toward the Palace.


	10. Chapter 10

"BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG!" The warning bell sounded at the Palace gates while the clerk was finishing marrying Fiyero and Elphaba. He quickly finished and then ran for cover underneath his desk. Fiyero rushed to the windows and peered out into the weather that had suddenly appeared.

"Flying Monkeys!" He shouted and as if that had been the magic words Vinkun soldiers appeared from down the hallway, bursting through the door, all armed with their trusty rifles and swords.

"My Prince!" One of the men threw Fiyero's trusty rifle to him and the men began exiting the castle onto the balconies.

"My brothers!" Chistery came flying down the hallway and looked outside as Avantador picked one of the Monkeys off with his breath of fire.

"Noo!" Chistery was about to rush outside when Elphaba stopped him.

"They are not your brothers right now! They are coming to attack us! The sorcerer is getting closer! You must take me to Avantador! We must finish what we started!" She told him. He nodded despite his heartache and quickly moved to get her to the dragon.

"Hold your fire until Elphaba reaches Avantador!" Fiyero ordered. The men nodded and took aim. Chistery got her safely to the dragon which was no easy feat as the rain pelted down hard and the wind blew ferociously.

"We have to perform the oath now!" She shouted to him, hoping to be heard above the sudden storm after Chistery put her down safely into one of the dragon's large clawed hands.

"Look out!" Avantador shouted as he used his large claws and batted another Flying Monkey away. The dragon realized that the Monkeys had all turned their attention away from Fiyero and his men and towards them.

"Miss Elphaba it is you they want!" He warned. Quickly the witch turned and fired lightning bolts at them. They scattered and she was unable to make a successful hit.

"There is no time to do what you ask!" Avantador said before blowing more fire at their attackers, hoping to keep them away but they were relentless and they charged at Elphaba once again.

"What should we do?" Glinda asked upon arriving at the balcony next to Fiyero.

"We don't have a clean shot. We can't get the Monkeys without fear of hitting Elphaba or Chistery or Avantador!" The former Prince slammed his fist down onto the balcony railing. Before either could do anything there was a bright flash of light and everyone froze in their place.

Elphaba blasted the Monkeys away from her. Most were stunned by the suddenly blast of light and they fell from the sky. Chistery flew after them and Avantador tried to scoop them up with his other hand before they fell to their deaths. A few had not been affected as badly as their cohorts and they charged one more time. Elphaba blasted again and the remainder fell, caught quickly by the dragon.

"We must perform the oath now!" She cried to Avantador. He nodded and quickly moved closer to the balcony, dropping off the unconscious Flying Monkeys, and picking up Fiyero. He then began to speak in a tongue that was all his own, it fell to the ears of the people around him a guttural language that he alone could speak. He then extended his claw and sliced into his tough exterior. Blood formed at the surface and both Fiyero and Elphaba quickly used the dagger Fiyero had on him, to slice into their hands. They then touched the same spot that Avantador had just opened with her bloodied hand and he quickly finished the ritual. Elphaba could feel her insides heating up and she wondered if this was part of the ritual.

"It is done. You and I are now bound. I shall serve you and the Vinkus for the rest of your lives," Avantador smiled and suddenly the heat that had been passed to them cooled. Elphaba shivered uncontrollably, after losing the heat that she had been given and the fact that she was soaked to the bone. They had no time to do anything about it however as a sound floated over the sound of the storm,

"BONG! BONG! BONG! BONG!"


	11. Chapter 11

"Get inside!" Avantador shouted as he set the two down on the balcony again. They did as he asked and Glinda handed them towels. They were both soaked to the bone but there was no time to worry about that.

"Seal the Palace! I want archers and marksmen at every turret on the wall! We must defend the castle to the death!" Fiyero barked.

"Sir, yes sir!" The men, who had been on the balconies but now had travelled inside, accepted his orders and ran to get everyone in position.

"He could take out some of his frustration on the surrounding town," Elphaba pointed out while she checked the unconscious Flying Monkeys. They smelled like wet dog and she was having a hard time keeping her stomach in check.

"The warning bell alerts the soldiers in the garrison outside the gates. We should have everything covered. I trust their Captain and he will do what is necessary to save as many villagers as he can," her beloved explained.

"How are they?" Glinda asked pointing to the Monkeys and holding her nose.

"They're still breathing but until we're certain that they aren't under a spell, we need to lock them up," Elphaba said.

"Point," Fiyero motioned to his clerk to get some men up to them to transfer the Monkeys down to the cells in the basement.

"I will stand by your side and fight Master Fiyero. Where do you need me?" Chistery offered.

"I need you to help my men at the wall. They will need your wings and your experience. Tell them I sent you and they will follow you," Fiyero smiled. Chistery nodded and then took off out of the window. The men needed to move the Monkeys had arrived and were attending to their task when Glinda asked,

"Where do you need me?"

"Not here. You must head back to the Emerald City. If something happens to you then all of Oz will be at risk and we can't take that chance," the Prince said.

"All Oz will be at risk anyway if the two of you and the dragon can't stop this guy!" The blonde argued and Elphaba gave him a look; he'd lost this argument. The Flying Monkeys were now safely on their way to the basement and Elphaba whistled for her broom. It came to her hand and she headed for the balcony.

"I will fight with Avantador. Fiyero has his men to help. Glinda, do us a favor and take command of the medical post. I have a bad feeling we're going to need it," Elphaba said. She then opened the doors and kicked off of the balcony, heading for Avantador.

"What do you want?" She could hear the dragon's voice boom over the storm that still raged. She flew closer and landed on his shoulder.

"Good of you to join us, Miss Elphaba," the hooded figure bowed. The voice told her it was a man, though that was all she could tell at the moment.

"That would be Princess Elphaba to you," she sneered.

"You are many things but I never could picture you as a Princess," he said, pulling his hood down.

"You!" Elphaba could not believe her eyes as she pointed her finger at him.

"Did you miss me?" He asked.


	12. Chapter 12

Elphaba stood in disbelief. How could it be? It wasn't possible. The now unhooded man snapped his fingers and the storm that had been raging stopped just as quickly as it had started.

"Your stunned silence speaks volumes," he smirked.

"Glinda said she ran you out of Oz. Never mind the fact that you never had any powers to start with, Father," Elphaba regained her focus and scowled at the man formerly known as the Wizard of Oz.

"I was a broken man when Glinda told me the truth. I had supposedly killed my own daughter, whom I had never knew I had. But it seems the blonde is better at lying than I thought," the Wizard smirked.

"She didn't lie. I cast a spell to fake my death. I thought it better for everyone if I continued my work in secret. How did you return to Oz and how did you get such power?" Elphaba wanted the truth but wondered if she'd really get it.

"You see, I tried to flee Oz but found that it was harder than I thought. Apparently, magic brought me here and it would take magic to send me back. I hid in the forest until one day, whilst grappling with my demons, I was struck by lightning. When I came to, I found that I was no longer the shell of the man I once was and I had a new goal, retaking what was mine. I trained and tested myself until I felt that I could head back to the Emerald City and knock Glinda out of power but by then you'd made a miraculous recovery and were now playing second fiddle to the dumb blonde," he told her. Elphaba was trying to find the truth in that story as she'd never heard of anyone being stuck by lightning and surviving, never mind gaining magical powers.

"Morrible," she cursed under her breath.

"I hear the old broad ended up a steaming pile of dragon dung. A shame really. She had quite the scheming mind," the Wizard smirked.

"I killed her and I will kill you," Avantador smirked, tired of the talking and wishing he could squash the man where he stood.

"Then we should get on with it, don't you think?" The Wizard smirked and lightning crackled at his fingertips.

"Your fight is with me. Leave the good people of the Vinkus out of it," Elphaba said, hoping that they could bring their fight to the nearby fields. Her father narrowed his eyes and smirked before launching a lightning bolt straight at Elphaba. She quickly deflected it and it bounced harmlessly away. Then from a distance she heard the unmistakable voice of her now husband,

"Fire at will!" A barrage of bullets and arrows were let loose from the Palace walls. Chistery got the catapults loaded and soon they were launching at the former Wizard of Oz. Using his new found powers, the Wizard created a protective bubble around him as the boulders landed nearby, some hitting the barrier. When the boulders hit, it drove the bubble into the now mushy soil, thanks to the rain. Bullets and arrows ricocheted off of it and Chistery ordered a cease fire for the men on the walls. Boulder after boulder, the Wizard was soon surrounded and then buried.

"Did we get him?" One of the men from the wall asked once the catapults stopped.

"There is no way it was that easy," Elphaba murmured.

"I agree," Avantador said before unleashing his dragon's breath onto the pile of boulders. The heat was immense and the rocks began to change in their makeup. Anything beneath them would be burned alive. It was not what Elphaba would have wanted for the man who was her biological father but it seemed they had no choice. Of course, this was until they heard the sound of the rocks cracking.


	13. Chapter 13

The boulders that had been encasing the Wizard exploded showering everything within a fifty foot radius with hot fragments. Avantador shielded Elphaba while the soldiers at the wall ducked for cover.

"A good trick but it will not be enough," Oscar smirked before raising his hands toward Elphaba. The magic in them crackled and he shot another ball of lightning at her. Avantador brushed it aside, sending it back the way it had come, nearly striking the man who sent it. He quickly followed it with fire from his mouth. The Wizard got the protective bubble up just in time as the flames singed the ground.

"We could do this for eternity and nothing would be any different," the Wizard pointed out, not taking down his protective bubble.

"So what would you suggest?" Elphaba eyed him, her hands crackling with the magic that flowed in her body. She was more powerful than him and he knew it. Between creating the storm as cover, enchanting the Flying Monkeys, and using the protective bubble, he had to be feeling the effects on his body.

"A truce to discuss my terms," Oscar said.

"A truce?" Elphaba gave him a look, knowing what his terms would be; he wanted to rule Oz and that was all there was to it. Then she had an idea.

"I'll agree to your truce on two conditions, we meet down outside the Palace walls and Fiyero joins us," she told him.

"Agreed, provided he leaves that trusty rifle of his inside the Palace," the Wizard said. Elphaba nodded and turned to the dragon, who was giving her a confused look.

"Please fetch Fiyero for me," she smiled slightly and gently touched his cut, to which Avantador raised an eye.

"As you wish, Princess," he bowed his head and then watched her kick off of his hand with her broom. Avantador then went to the window where Fiyero had been commanding the troops from. The view of the dragon's head and the Palace walls blocked the Prince from the Wizard's sight.

"You may not bring your rifle, Prince Fiyero," the dragon told him whilst pointing to his cut at the same time. The Prince nodded, hiding the dagger that he had used to make the blood oath, behind his back. He then hopped onto the dragon's hand.

"I'm ready," Fiyero gave Avantador a wink before he was lifted up and then transported to the other side of the Palace walls.

"Good to see you Prince Fiyero. Another miraculous recovery on your part, I see," Oscar smirked, realizing for the first time, the rings on their fingers. He had yet to take down the protective bubble, afraid that Elphaba would zap him.

"Your daughter is very powerful but you already knew that," Fiyero was curt.

"She must be if she convinced you to marry her," the barb was tossed and Elphaba clenched her fists.

"I love her and I asked her to marry me. She is Princess of Oz but also of the Vinkus, so I suggest you think twice before opening your mouth again," Fiyero snapped his fingers and in an instant, hundreds of rifles could be heard cocking, as the men on the walls took their positions.

"Duly noted," Oscar nodded.

"Let's get on with it. What do you want and why should I not have Avantador eat you?" Elphaba asked, done with the little pleasantries.

"I want what was mine of course. To rule Oz and to have the daughter I never knew at my side," the Wizard offered.

"The last time you tried to rule Oz, you almost let Morrible run the show. She would have a world plunged into darkness before letting all citizens of Oz be free. Since you went along with it, I would hardly be inclined to let you be anywhere near a position of power. On top of that, you would not have sicked the Flying Monkeys on me if you really wanted me by your side," Elphaba raised an eyebrow, not fooled by his silver tongue.

"Think of what we could do together! The two most powerful beings in all of Oz!" Oscar started.

"Great responsibility comes with power! You have given me no inclination that you are willing to be responsible!" Elphaba fired back.

"I must earn your trust, I understand," he gave a slight nod.

"You must earn all of Oz's trust, not just my own and your little display here has done nothing to further that trust. You will surrender to the Vinkus and be held for trial. If and only if you are found not guilty will I ever even consider your proposition," Elphaba told him. Oscar was losing his patience and he lunged at her, his fingers wrapping around her neck. In that moment, his protective bubble disappeared and Fiyero sank the dagger into his back.


	14. Chapter 14

The Wizard awoke in a bed inside of a cell located inside the infirmary. Fiyero's parents had had it installed so that patients from down in the cells could be treated where the air wasn't so musty and the walls not so mold covered. Oscar tried to get up and found that he was chained to the bed; forced to lie there. Smirking, he attempted to use his powers only to find, he had none.

"I would lie still if I were you. I used a spell to heal your wound as I was asked to but it won't be fully healed for some time," Glinda spoke up from the chair she was sitting in across from the cell.

"Enchanted chains inside an enchanted prison cell, I'm guessing," the Wizard gave her a look.

"Better accommodations than you deserve. I said we should have let you bleed out," the blonde told him flatly.

"So you have grown some balls. I'm surprised Miss Glinda," Oscar gave her a crooked smile.

"You can thank your daughter for that. Though I suppose she'll never hear it from you, you crazy bastard," Glinda bit back at him.

"Me, the crazy bastard? You're the one who managed to get Elphaba in a place of power and convince a good portion of the population that I was a liar. How's that for crazy?" He asked.

"You really have no idea how wonderful she really is; do you? Oh well, I suppose you won't live long enough to find out," Glinda stood and walked out, leaving Oscar to wonder just how right she was.

"How is he?" Elphaba asked as her best friend entered Fiyero's father's study.

"I can't believe you care. He tried to kill you, multiple times, and he tried to ruin your life when he couldn't," the blonde shook her head and took a seat in a cushy seat neat the desk, which Fiyero sat behind.

"He may be the only link to finding my parents," the Prince pointed out.

"Well now that he's here and the Monkeys are here, can't we try a location spell? There should be no one to block it," Glinda offered.

"I tried it as soon as I could. It didn't work. My bigger fear is that what I suspect happened, actually happened," Elphaba said.

"Ok, back up," the blonde gave her a confused look.

"There was always talk of someone being able to transfer their powers to someone else. Most everyone felt it was bunk and Morrible railed against something fierce but now it seems to be true," the green woman explained.

"Well it would explain how Oscar managed to get powers when he had none but how exactly did Morrible do it? I mean she didn't have much time before Avantador made her into a tasty snack," Glinda said.

"That's what has me stuck. Morrible was never more powerful than me and yet she managed to transfer her powers to Oscar and he managed to be almost as powerful as me? I'm not trying to be egotistical or anything but it doesn't make sense, given what we know about our respective power levels," Elphaba heaved a sigh. Suddenly Fiyero bolted upright from his slouched position in his father's chair. He did it so quickly, that he made the girls jump.

"Follow me!"


	15. Chapter 15

"Fiyero what does your half-cocked brain thinking of? We've been in this library for hours and we have yet to find this book you claim to know your parents had," Glinda shook her head.

"Excuse me but I'm the only one who can tell him his brain is half-cocked. I am his wife after all," Elphaba teased.

"All right, all right. My mother used to tell me stories of the Witch of the South and how she was the most powerful in all of Oz. Of course this was before Fae came into the picture," Fiyero threw another book into the pile next to him. Each person had stacks just like it nearby and Elphaba secretly felt bad that they were leaving a mess in such a lovely room. The walls were lined with shelves and each shelf held many books which had been lovingly stored in alphabetical order. Some were very old and some were well worn while others looked as though they hadn't been touched very often.

"How will this book help us?" The green woman asked.

"It should give us the location of where she used to reside. There was always talk that she had enchanted her home to hide it from the world and that those that accidentally found it would be cursed to never remember its location," Fiyero explained.

"So how does the book know?" Glinda wanted to know.

"The book gave a general description of where it was believed she made her hideout. If we could find it, between the three of us and the dragon, we should be able to find her home," the Prince told them.

"I mean no offense Yero but I have never heard of this tale," Elphaba said.

"It's an old Vinkun bedtime story which I didn't give much credence to until the Wizard magically became an actual Wizard," he admitted.

"And given your folks hid the magical creatures aspect of your history hidden…" Elphaba started.

"Maybe the story wasn't a story," he nodded.

"Wait. What?" Glinda was confused and Elphaba quickly explained the reason they had had to take a blood oath with Avantador.

"Ok so maybe the idea isn't totally half-cocked but how do we find this book?" The blonde asked, looking at the shelves. Elphaba stared at the same shelves and then got an idea.

"I thought of it before but wasn't sure it would work. Do you think we could we cast a location spell for the book?" She asked.

"I don't see how. Fiyero doesn't remember the title which is why we're covered in dust," Glinda showed her, her hands.

"Could you do some sort of elimination spell?" Fiyero wondered.

"An actual elimination spell would cause the books to physically disappear, which could mean bursting into flames," Elphaba said.

"Yeah let's not do that," Glinda shook her head.

"Though that gives me an idea. What if we give the location spell very specific instructions?" The green woman turned to her best friend.

"Well we can't ask for anything too specific, given what we're searching for. It'll get confused," Glinda reminded her.

"This is true but what if we asked for all the books that contained bedtime stories?" Elphaba suggested.

"Can't hurt to try," Glinda shrugged. Elphaba quickly conjured up the spell and at first nothing happened. She tried it again and this time books flew off the shelves at them.

"Grab one and see what we're dealing with," Glinda instructed. There were about twenty books on the floor and the three of them began flipping through them. About an hour later, however, they had managed to sift through the books and they had found nothing.

"Ok that didn't work," Fiyero heaved a sigh.

"What if the spell didn't consider it a bedtime story? I mean we are assuming its true right?" Glinda asked.

"I suppose so but I figured the filing would go as a bedtime story," Elphaba shrugged.

"Ok, then can you try to search using the words "Witch of the South"?" Her husband wondered.

"I thought that might be too specific but we can try. Though you might want to keep an eye out. The last spell took longer than I thought to respond. We could be waiting a bit and suddenly have a book fly at our heads," his wife told him.

"Check," Glinda nodded and Elphaba quickly chanted the spell. They waited five minutes and she tried it again. Five more minutes went by and still nothing. Elphaba tried it one more time. Five, ten, and then fifteen minutes passed and still nothing.

"Well at least we tried," Fiyero huffed before slumping into a chair, figuring their only hope now was to resume the search they had started earlier, by hand.

"Incoming!" Glinda shouted before hitting the deck. Elphaba did the same and Fiyero, regrettably caught the book in the mouth, as the chair didn't allow him to duck. He cried out in agony as the book hit the floor.

Elphaba rushed to his side and quickly assessed how badly he was hurt. He had some teeth knocked into his mouth and blood was coming out of the new holes. She bade him to hold still and she quickly performed a healing spell which put the teeth back where they belonged and stopped the bleeding.  
"How do you feel?" She asked.

"Much better though my face still hurts," he admitted.

"That would be a side effect of the spell. Healing spells are great but they can't always take away every pain and wound," Elphaba explained.

"Well I like my teeth the way they are so thank you," he smiled slightly before wincing.

"Uh Fiyero, this book doesn't have bedtime stories in it," Glinda's eyebrows were raised.

"It doesn't?" He was confused. Glinda handed the book to Elphaba and the woman's eyes grew large.

"Fiyero, this is a spell book. Look at the inside of the front cover," she handed him the book and his eyes grew large as well.

"Hold onto this tightly, daughter, for it is the only book you will ever need to protect yourself and those you love. Know that I will always be with you," he read before flipping to the next page. The words on it were unintelligible, just like the ones in the Grimmerie.

"What the…" Fiyero couldn't believe it as he flipped through the pages until he hit words he could recognize. There he found the words the spell had latched onto. There were the stories his mother used to tell him.

"It would seem that they weren't fairytales after all," Elphaba said.


	16. Chapter 16

Elphaba made her way to the infirmary, carrying a tray of food. Glinda had offered to spit in said food because she knew it was going to the Wizard but her friend had declined her invitation, surprised that the blonde had said such a thing, and then of course, Glinda offered to enchant it. Again Elphaba declined. Upon passing Fiyero with the tray, he too offered to add a little something extra to the food and she promptly reminded both of them that they needed to be better than their enemy. The two of them nodded in understanding but she wondered if they really meant it. Elphaba knew that they were only looking out for her and in some way it was a sweet gesture despite what it called for.

"So did you spit in it or did you have the blonde whip something up?" Oscar asked as she approached the cell with the food.

"Honestly," Elphaba rolled her eyes as a Palace Guard opened the door. He moved in and quickly aided the prisoner in sitting up before making sure all of the remaining shackles were in place. The green woman placed the tray on his lap and then moved out of the cell before it was locked again. The Wizard noted that all he had was wooden utensils and they would be no help in getting himself free.

"Has he been behaving himself?" Elphaba asked Chistery who had offered to keep an eye on him with the other Guards. The two of them moved out of earshot to have a private conversation.

"So far," the Flying Monkey said.

"How are your brothers?" She wanted to know.

"Free of their spell and quite ashamed. I fear they will not be able to help in the search for Master Fiyero's parents," he heaved a sigh and the witch put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We have another lead we're going to run down in the morning with Avantador. Do you think that your fellow Monkeys wouldn't mind helping you keep an eye on him?" She jerked her head toward the Wizard.

"Oh they would jump at the chance to restore their honor," Chistery assured her.

"Good," Elphaba nodded and then she moved closer to the cell.

"Now, I want to have a conversation with you but only if you think you can manage the truth," the green girl looked at her father.

"Depends on the truth you want," he played coy. Elphaba heaved a sigh and took a seat in a nearby chair.

"My mother. Did you love her or was she just another notch on your belt? Or worse still, did you take without asking?" She asked.

"Your mother and I had a wonderful relationship. I often asked her to leave her husband but she refused, afraid of his temper, I always assumed, though once she told me that if her husband found out, it could be the death of us both. Perhaps that's why our relationship was so hot and heavy. It was predicated on danger," Oscar told her. Internally, she wanted to gag but she had to ask.

"Frex was well known for his temper, something he often used on me while giving my sister preferential treatment. I had no idea he was not my father until recently and I suppose he always knew that I was the product of an affair," Elphaba told him. It was then that she saw something soften in the Wizard's eyes and she was utterly befuddled by it.

"I am sorry. I did not know that," he said, his tone had changed.

"Nothing to be done about it now. I've dealt with people being mean to me my entire life, a product of my skin color and later because of the power I possess," she shrugged before changing the topic.

"Why would Morrible transfer her power to you? Glinda may have scared you out of the Emerald City but it is quite obvious you did not leave Oz as we had all suspected. What made you stay, I mean despite being unable to return to your world, you could have gone to Ix or other lands."

"The first one, I can't say. I suppose that she hated you enough that she wanted me to become the only person to try and take you down. As for the second one, I thought that maybe someday, after things had cooled down, I might find the woman I had loved in Munchkinland but as I found out, she was gone and she had been for some time. Of course that was before the lightning strike," he admitted.

"Another instance of my father, I'm afraid. Sometimes I wonder if the milkflowers were her punishment for stepping out on him and the unintended death that came with it, allowed him the access to punish me as he saw fit. Without Mother around, there was no one to protect me," Elphaba supposed. Oscar gave her a look,

"He had no proof that you weren't his daughter."

"Oh I think the birth of Nessa gave him enough proof. She and I did not share many of the same physical traits despite being sisters. Not only was she not green but her features were more feminine and she looked more like mother. I seem to take after my real father," she pointed out. To this Oscar only shrugged. They would never have the final answer as Frex was dead.

"Now, while my family is in ruins, Fiyero's does not need to be. Where are Fiyero's parents?" Elphaba asked.

"Oh come on now. I can't tell you that. It's really the only reason to keep me alive isn't it?" Oscar asked.

"Not really. Glinda has sent for the Gale Force. Captain Asli will be here in a matter of days and he will take you back to the Emerald City where you will be put on trial as I said you would," the green woman said.

"You think they will convict? I am the Wonderful Wizard after all," the smirk was back and Elphaba was beginning to wonder if Morrible had done more than just transfer her powers.

"They will now that you've been caught in a lie once, no one will be in a hurry to stand up to you, especially now since the attack on the Vinkus," with that she stood and turned to Chistery.

"If he tries to escape, you have my authority to do whatever you deem necessary," she said.

"Does that include death?" Chistery asked, knowing that if the Wizard got free of his magical cell, it could spell doom for everyone there.

"It does," and with that Elphaba left the room.


	17. Chapter 17

The morning dawned bright and cheery and Fiyero and Elphaba were up with the sun. They needed to be on their way to the location that the spell book had given. Elphaba wondered why the book was so vague but then she figured that it was another layer of protection should the book fall into the wrong hands. The spells were protected by the fact that the text was in the same language as the Grimmerie, so it made sense to hide the location in plain English writing by obscuring it another way.

"So we are to ride on the broom?" Fiyero asked nervously.

"You can fly with Glinda in her bubble if you prefer. Or I suppose that Avantador wouldn't mind a rider," she smiled slightly. He nodded and grabbed his trusty rifle from the corner of the room with one hand and her broom with the other.

"Shall we?" He asked as he handed her the cleaning implement.

"We shall. Glinda promised to meet us by Avantador," Elphaba smiled and took the broom. The two then headed out the door to their room and down to the front door of the Palace. They exited to find Avantador and the blonde chitchatting.

"Ready?" The dragon asked.

"If you don't mind giving me a ride," Fiyero said.

"Of course, your Majesty. It would be an honor," Avantador bowed his head before getting into a position that would allow the Prince to climb onto him and get into a safe position.

"Lead the way, Princess," Avantador said, once his passenger was as secure as he could be. Elphaba nodded and took to the skies on her broom. Glinda followed in her bubble and the dragon brought up the rear.

They flew over the nearby mountains and approached the forest on the other side. Elphaba paused to hover and cast a location spell for any source of magic that was not part of their party. The little ball of energy that the spell had created zoomed off and quickly the group was in pursuit of it.

The sun moved across the sky and by noon they were surprised to see the ball stop and suddenly disappear. The group halted and Elphaba looked around. All she could see for miles were more trees. She looked at Glinda who shrugged and Avantador suggested that they head beneath the trees. The green woman quickly clarified for the dragon that the reason both she and Glinda were confused as to what to do next was because the ball should not have vanished like that. Ordinarily it would only stop upon reaching the final destination and then disappear when told to by the person who cast the spell.

"You spoke of a spell that hides the location we are seeking. Perhaps the spell created a magic wall of some sort," he shrugged.

"It's possible. I do feel the magic that is nearby," Glinda spoke up.

"As do I. The only time that I got this feeling though was when Morrible or our new Wizard were close by. It's more ominous than the feeling I get when you're near Lin," Elphaba said.

"The Witch of the South was a good witch," Fiyero reminded them.

"Perhaps so but whatever hides in this forest may be tainted by the Wizard and then therefore by Morrible," his wife explained.

"Point well taken," he swallowed.

"Perhaps it's best we descend and go by foot. The element of surprise may already be out the window," Elphaba suggested.

"Agreed," Avantador said. Quickly they descended through the trees to the forest floor. The tall trees and their long branches covered in leaves and needles blocked out a lot of sunlight despite the fact that the day was at its midpoint.

"Did it get cold or is it just me?" Glinda shivered once out of her bubble. Elphaba cast an illumination spell to give them better light and she shivered as well.

"It's the feeling of evil," she murmured as she took in the sights in front of them as they moved on. Moss grew everywhere, instead of grass. The silence that reigned was only broken by their footsteps. No animal or insect called out or moved amongst the dead leaves on the forest floor.

"I have half a mind to burn this place to the ground," Avantador said, as he crawled on all fours. He scooped up Glinda and put her next to Fiyero before reaching for Elphaba and doing the same thing.

"Perhaps it is best you stay atop me since we cannot see what lies beneath our feet," he explained. He made a valid point as the leaves moved with every step of his large feet, disturbing the forest floor and showing patches of what they all hoped was mud. It looked more like tar and no one wanted to find out what exactly it was. Using his large lung capacity, Avantador blew a breath out and the leaves and debris moved showing the moss covered ground beneath.

"Excellent thinking. We also have a better vantage point from up here," Elphaba patted his shoulder.

"It stretches on for miles. Do you really think the Wizard was here?" Fiyero wanted to know, thinking that decay like this did not happen overnight.

"It probably didn't look like this when he first came through. The evil that brews inside him now could have caused this. The spell that the Witch of the South would have cast, would have made this look like any regular part of the forest, otherwise people would be too curious and venture inside anyway. When he transformed into an actual Wizard, he would have had the power to manipulate the existing spell without even knowing it, especially if it's the manifestation spell I found in the book," Elphaba explained. She had brought the book with her in her satchel and was beginning to think it was a very good idea.

"Can you manipulate the spell to change the scenery?" Glinda asked.

"You must step foot in the place the original spell was cast. Which means that we need to find the house first," the green girl shivered again.

"Oh joy," the blonde swallowed hard. They moved slowly and surely through the forest, remaining silent after their last conversation in hopes of hearing something or noticing something but as the sun sank down further and the natural shade of the evening fell, they all couldn't help the worry that rose in their stomachs.

Suddenly Elphaba slapped Avantador's back and he froze in place. She lifted a finger and pointed in the direction in which they were heading. At first no one could hear what she was hearing but soon they realized just what they were hearing, hoof beats.

"Something wicked this way comes!" Elphaba shouted.


	18. Chapter 18

The sound of the hooves drew nearer as they beat the ground at a furious rate. The forest seemed to shake at their approach and Elphaba knew it that the manifestation of whatever the Wizard had cooked up. She readied herself and looked to Glinda who was as ready as she could be. Fiyero cocked his rifle and put it against his shoulder. If this was his parents, he wasn't sure how to handle it.

Just as the horses came into view, they could see that the carriage that the Queen had taken from the Emerald City. Fiyero swallowed and steadied himself and his rifle. The horses slowed up and stopped in front of Avantador. They stomped their feet and snorted their nostrils.

The carriage door opened and out stepped Queen Adalet. She didn't look like she should as her hair was wild and her gown torn in multiple places. Her eyes looked crazy and she had mud smeared everywhere.

"How dare you enter my forest?!" She yelled at them. Avantador's response was to roar at her, which incited fear into the possessed horses and they reared back, jolting the carriage, knocking Adalet down.

"Glinda! Now!" Elphaba shouted. The blonde let loose a bubble which quickly encased the Queen and lifted her up into the air. Avantador used his claws and popped the bubble, grabbing Adalet before she hit the ground. The Queen struggled against the dragon's grip.

"Don't make me squeeze you any tighter. I would hate to deprive Prince Fiyero of his mother," Avantador told her. The mention of her son, made Adalet stop struggling for moment and suddenly, Elphaba noticed almost the same look on her face as the one on the Wizard when she told him about Frex. They were fighting something and she wasn't sure how to break it.

"Knock her out," Elphaba ordered. The dragon obliged and squeezed her until she passed out. The instant she lost consciousness it was like a switch was flipped. The forest around them brightened and everything dark turned bright again and the horses returned to their normal docile selves.

"What the…" Fiyero was thoroughly confused. It seemed as though the spell was stronger than the one cast on the Flying Monkeys yet here they were with it seemingly reversed.

"I'm right there with you," Glinda shook her head.

"The enchantment was not as deep as I thought. I think we'll be able to find out more when we find the house and hopefully the King," Elphaba frowned. Perhaps the Wizard took Fiyero's parents to get information and then to keep them out of the way out here in the middle of the woods. Although how did it all come together with the Witch of the South? Fiyero could see the gears in his beloved's head turning.

"Can you please put my mother near the carriage Avantador? We should secure her inside and get a move on. The further we get into the woods the better before dark, especially since we have yet to find my father," the Prince said. The dragon nodded and gently set the Queen down on the now plush ground. He then helped Fiyero down.

"Good idea. Glinda ride inside with her in case she wakes up. Fiyero can drive the carriage and Avantador and I will take point," Elphaba told them. Quickly Glinda used a bubble to float off the dragon's back and then used another bubble to get the Queen into the carriage. Strapping her in, Fiyero then climbed onto the seat above the horses.

"Onward Avantador. We're losing daylight and I can't shake this bad feeling that I've had since we landed," Elphaba admitted.

"I know what you mean Princess. This forest is cursed. I'm not so sure that the Witch of the South was the good person the Prince thinks she was," he said as softly as he could. The green skinned woman nodded and patted his back. With that the group moved forward, deeper into the woods.


	19. Chapter 19

They reached the cabin around four o'clock in the afternoon. It was very deep in the woods and Elphaba wondered if the spell that supposedly wiped the minds of travelers who stumbled upon it, only worked when they crossed the magical border back in the direction they had come. Carefully, she used her broom to dismount Avantador and then walked up to the carriage.

"Fiyero, perhaps you and your trusty rifle should help me scout the house out before we loosen the bonds on your mother?" Elphaba suggested. Her husband climbed down, rifle in hand.

"Glinda had to knock her back out a few times. Are we sure she won't have brain trauma?" He asked.

"I'm not sure of anything right now but I promise we'll take a look at her once we're sure it's safe to be inside the cabin, she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"All right, let's do it," Fiyero nodded and the two moved toward the cabin. They quickly made a sweep of the outside. It looked as though it was only a two room cabin and it had begun that slow decay most abandoned buildings go through on their way out.

"I'm afraid to touch anything. The windows in the back are all cracked and they aren't covered with curtains. The floors look like they would fall through if someone stepped on them," Elphaba shook her head as they met up back out front of the building.

"Where is my father?" Fiyero asked.

"I have a bad feeling Yero," she didn't want to say it out loud but from all indications the King had vanished off the face of the planet. Usually when that happens, someone is either really good at hiding or someone else had a hand in their untimely disappearance, and not in a good way.

"If the Wizard did anything to him…" He started.

"You have my permission to hurt him but let's hold off until we carefully search the inside of the cabin," Elphaba told him. He nodded and they carefully tried the doorknob on the only door in the place. Surprisingly the door swung open easily, as if someone had just oiled the hinges. Fiyero picked up an acorn from outside the door and rolled it onto the floor. It did not fall through and cautiously, he moved into the first room. The floor boards creaked but did not give and Elphaba carefully followed directly behind him.

The first room held the stove, some cupboards, a wash basin, and a table with chairs. Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs and it was obvious that no one had been living in the building, which was odd considering what the Wizard had said.

"Maybe once we broke the spell on Mother, it broke the spell on the house," Fiyero suggested, seemingly knowing what Elphaba was thinking.

"Could be," she said thoughtfully. They then moved into the bedroom. The bed was in bad shape but other than that the floor seemed to hold. They both exited and decided that they had better get Glinda and the Queen (via bubble) inside. Quickly they got to work and got their little group together under the roof which they all hoped would keep the weather out.

"All right, now you can release her from the bubble," Elphaba told Glinda. The blonde nodded and made the bubble disappear. They all expected her to lunge at them like she had before but she just stood there. She blinked a few times and then looked at them.

"Where am I? Who are you people?" She asked.

"Oh boy," Glinda shook her head.


	20. Chapter 20

"What did I say? We've given her brain trauma!" Fiyero was immensely upset. Elphaba knew that it wasn't good but right now they had other concerns like where exactly was the King and how long did they really feel comfortable leaving Chistery in charge of the Wizard. The magical cell should hold him but deep down, the green girl kept worrying.

"Yero, let's try something first," his wife suggested.

"Yeah, why don't we start with, do you recognize the man standing in front of you? His name is Fiyero, he is your son," Glinda spoke to the Queen. The Queen gave the blonde a look but she studied Fiyero's face for a moment or two and then smiled.

"Fiyero!" She quickly pulled him into a hug.

"I'm glad you're safe mom," he squeezed her tight.

"Your Majesty, do you know where your husband is?" Elphaba asked, hoping there was an answer and that perhaps the mention of the people most close to her would job her memory. Adalet let go of Fiyero and pulled Elphaba into a hug which shocked the latter to no end.

"Elphaba," she was definitely remembering because she let go of the green girl and then pulled the blonde in for a hug.

"Glinda. It is very good to see you all. Though where we are and why we're here is still eluding me," Adalet said.

"Do you remember leaving the Emerald City to chase down the King?" Elphaba wanted to know.

"Yes. I never caught up to him. A man emerged from the forest, he somehow took control of Chistery and his fellow Monkeys and then that's all I remember," the Queen admitted.

"That man was the Wizard. It seems he did not leave Oz after all and that Morrible somehow transferred his powers to him, which is why he could do what he did," Her daughter-in-law explained.

"No. I don't believe it was Morrible," Adalet told them. Glinda raised an eyebrow before asking,

"How do you figure, you Majesty? He said he was struck by lightning and everyone knows that Morrible had control of the weather." The blonde wasn't trying to be rude but it seemed like just when they had something figured out, things kept getting turned upside down.

"My mother was the Witch of the South. If he was hit by lightning in the Vinkus, it was probably her," the Queen said simply.

"How could that be mom? Grandma died fifteen years ago," Fiyero was thoroughly confused.

"Sweetie, we told you that to keep you safe. You see your Grandma foretold of Morrible and the Wizard and just what they would do once they had power over all of Oz. She led a band of mystical creatures into the woods to protect them. I haven't heard from her in about ten years but my guess is that she's still very much alive or at least the spells that she cast are," Adalet told them.

"How…? Why…?" Fiyero couldn't believe that his mother and father had been keeping such secrets. Before anyone could say anything else, Avantador called from outside.

"Get out here!" He was usually much more polite so whatever was happening must be big. Quickly the group exited the cabin and went to their new dragon friend. They didn't see anything and gave him a concerned look.

"Don't you feel it?" He asked. It was then that Elphaba understood what he meant. The magical fields around them were being disrupted.

"That feeling is back," she said referring to the ominous feeling she'd had once they crossed into the woods. She looked to Glinda who was beginning to feel it too.

"What's going on?" The blonde was suddenly nervous.

"I told you that she was still alive," Adalet told them and they all looked at her before a cackle in the skies above distracted them.

"What have we got here?" A voice boomed from the tops of the trees.

"Mother!" Adalet called out to the voice, hoping that she would reveal herself to the group.

"Daughter?" The question sounded as if the person on the other end wanted to believe what she said was true yet she doubted it.

"Please come down. My husband is missing and the fate of Oz is at stake!" Adalet pleaded with the still unseen figure. Then the trees moved and from them came a large Griffon. Elphaba and Glinda's mouth hung open for a moment or two. They had been told that the Griffon was extinct.

The magnificent creature landed near Avantador and let its rider climb down. For a woman who should have been close to eighty, she was amazingly spry. Elphaba still couldn't shake the evil feelings she was having and wondered how the story the Queen told and the woman standing before them, could be the nice person that she supposedly was. Then as if the elderly woman had been reading her mind, she snapped her fingers and the feeling was gone.

"I am Burcin, the Witch of the South. You Miss Elphaba are a woman I have wanted to meet," she bowed slightly.

"How'd you…" the green girl started.

"I am more powerful than you realize child. Though perhaps I do not give you enough credit. After all, you rid Oz of Morrible and you've managed to capture the Wizard," by this time even Avantador had his mouth hanging open.

"And you've brought a dragon. Very impressive," the Witch smiled.

"We're here regarding the King and the Wizard," Elphaba shifted the focus for their trip.

"The Wizard has magical powers. I gave them to him, albeit temporarily. He was to complete his task and then they would leave him. He has not completed it and my guess is that he won't without some assistance," Burcin narrowed her eyes.

"What was his task?" Fiyero was already not liking where this was heading. He didn't know his grandmother very much and so he was still concerned about what she might do.

"Why rid Oz of Elphaba of course, by any means necessary," she said simply.


	21. Chapter 21

"Mother! How can you say such things?!" Adalet was obviously not used to seeing this side of her mother.

"Daughter, you know as well as I what magic and the lust for power has done to the Land of Oz. Spawn of the "Wonderful Wizard" must be dealt with accordingly. I had no idea just how much this one is capable of and to follow in her father's footsteps could not be tolerated," Burcin narrowed her eyes at her own daughter and again Elphaba could feel the evil welling up.

"The Spawn is standing right here and make no mistake I will do what I have to in order to protect Oz. Even if that means ridding it of you," the green woman spat at the Witch.

"I stand with Miss Elphaba," Avantador let his opinion be known.

"So I can see, magical one. Why still eludes me considering her parentage," again Burcin ignored Elphaba. It was as if she didn't exist.

"She is the one true heir to the Ozian throne, Princess of the Vinkus, and swore to do everything in her power to bring rights back to the Animals. She brought down Morrible and has sacrificed so much so that others may have better yet she has been treated like garbage her entire life. Her heart is pure, which is more than I can say for your blackened heart. Do not test me woman or you will find out firsthand how Morrible died," Avantador hissed, his large teeth showing.

"Such loyalty. Tell me dragon what spell has she cast to have you in her back pocket? What promise has she made?" The Witch of the South wanted to know.

"Enough!" Fiyero bellowed, "I'll not have you speak of my wife in such a manner. She is everything Avantador says she is and more which is more than I can say for you Grandmother. I now see why Mother kept me away from you."

"You always were a silly boy, Fiyero," Burcin smirked.

"He's my silly boy. Now what have you done with his father?" Elphaba spoke up.

"Oh that miserable old coot. I gave him what he deserved. He was never good enough for my little Adalet yet I could not argue since becoming Queen meant so much more than the happiness love should have brought," the Witch continued to smirk.

"Mother! Haluk is a good man. He may be a bit stubborn but up until recently we were happy. What have you done?!" Adalet was now angry and worried for her husband.

"I'll tell you but only if Elphaba can prove she's the witch that everyone thinks she is. Darkness is fast approaching and the only way to end this is by the death of one of us," Burcin told her.

"No one has to die. Help us turn Oz into the land we all know it could be," Elphaba pleaded.

"Child you are more a fool than I thought. Oz will never be what it was. Now that your father has turned people onto what hate can do for them, it is too late. Face me or the consequences will be severe," the Witch of the South ordered. Elphaba was about to object when suddenly the Griffin lifted off the ground and scooped Glinda up with it.

"Do as I ask Elphaba or the blonde gets it," Burcin ordered.

"Elphie!" Glinda had powers of her own but the grip of the Griffin was strong and the sharp beak could easily kill her in one swift movement.

"Fight me coward. Win and you may have Oz. Lose and I will make sure that Oz never falls into the hands of someone like you again," the Witch practically snarled.

"We can change Oz for the better. Why not do it together?" Elphaba tried once again to dissuade her challenger and was met with a yelp from Glinda as the claws of the Griffin drew blood from the blonde's midsection.

"Fight me!" Burcin demanded as the sun sank further beneath the mountains and the clearing was getting darker and darker. Elphaba looked at Glinda and knew she had no choice. Quickly, she spoke in the ancient tongue and conjured up an energy ball. She fired it at Burcin and hoped it would strike the target. Burcin laughed and deflected the ball as if she had deflected a dandelion fluff.

"Now you will feel my wrath little one," in an instant, Burcin chanted a spell that allowed her to shapeshift into a large wolf. Howling at the moon quickly brought on the sound of more howls and the fear in the pit of Elphaba's stomach grew. Burcin was much more powerful than anyone had realized and now the green woman would be forced to fight the devil herself.


	22. Chapter 22

Captain Asli and his men had dismounted their horses and were making camp when the sound of wolves howling echoed through the woods. It was not an uncommon noise in the Vinkus but what came after it certainly was.

"Sir…. what… was… that…?" A very green Gale Force soldier stammered as he looked to his superior officer from his position on the ground. He had been instructed to start the cooking fire but his duty was forgotten.

"That was a dragon," Asli said and he looked to his second in command.

"The castle is not in the direction it came from. It would seem that he was called away from the castle," Lieutenant Ash commented.

"Forget making camp. Water the horses and mount up. We need to get to the castle. If Avantador is not there then something may have gone wrong with the Wizard," Asli ordered. Quickly the troops scurried about as the evening sky darkened and the sun sank even further into the sky. It was then that they heard another noise and this one they all recognized.

"Flying Monkeys!" Lieutenant Ash announced. Asli quickly fired off a round with his sidearm and the Monkeys diverted recognizing the sound of a Gale Force weapon anywhere.

"Captain Asli!" The leader of the group, a Monkey by the name of Nat, bowed his head and the others followed suit.

"Where is Chistery?" Asli wanted to know.

"Guarding the Wizard. He ordered us to find where Avantador was and assist in any way possible," Nat explained.

"All right I want everyone to mount up and head to the castle. Nat, Sergeant Stewart and I will follow you on horseback. Ash, you're in charge while I'm gone," the Captain ordered. Ash nodded and quickly got the soldiers moving again while Nat and the Monkeys took to the skies with the Captain and the Sergeant on their trail from the ground.

Meanwhile, Avantador's roar shook the forest and when he had finished nothing but silence followed. Even the smallest of crickets did not chirp, for fear of the dragon.

"You will stand down and you will tell us where the King is or you will never leave this forest," the dragon hissed at the witch who had become the wolf.

"Do you let the dragon do all your talking spawn? No spine of which to speak of?" Burcin was still challenging them despite the threat from the much larger, much more powerful lizard.

"I don't have to fight you. You kidnapped the King and Queen of the Vinkus. That is high treason for which the punishment is death. Tell us where the King is and work with us to restore Oz to what it was before Morrible and my father got a hold of it. It is my final offer," Elphaba seethed. Once again her parentage had led to distrust of her and her wishes for Oz.

"I am more than willing to die for my cause. The question is, are you?" The wolf smirked.

"Then so be it," Avantador replied. He made a move toward the witch when Elphaba cried out,

"This is my fight! I have started it and I will finish it!"

"Fae, you don't…" Fiyero started but she held up her hand to silence him.

"I do and I must," she then thrust up both of her hands towards the sky and everyone around the fighting witches froze. Burcin moved toward her, astonished at what the young woman just did. Not many could cause their surroundings to freeze

"No help from the others will be forthcoming. It is just you and me," Elphaba smirked.

"Indeed you are powerful. The stories are true. Well child of two worlds, let us finish it then," the older woman challenged before lunging at Elphaba. The green woman threw an energy ball at her before whistling for her broom. The cleaning implement jumped to her hand just as the energy ball struck Burcin squarely on the nose. The older witch tumbled backwards and Elphaba mounted the broom, taking to the skies.

"If you wanted an aerial battle, all you had to do was say so," Burcin smirked before chanting another spell that turned her into a large eagle. She screeched and flew up at Elphaba who zoomed down toward the ground at a high rate of speed. Burcin turned and followed. Just inches before the ground would have smashed her body terribly; Elphaba pulled up and headed for the Griffin holding Glinda. Burcin caught onto the move too slow and tumbled onto the ground. She shook it off and headed straight for Elphaba who was working to free the frozen blonde from the grasp of the magical creature.

"His grip is too powerful," Burcin smirked as she crashed into the green woman's back. Elphaba could feel her ribs giving way but she quickly chanted a healing spell before pretending to fall toward the ground, still mounted on her broom. Burcin held her position, enjoying the view when Elphaba released a fire ball from her hands, before righting herself on the broom. This was much more effective than the energy balls she usually used and it knocked Burcin out of the sky. The older woman couldn't recover and she slammed into the ground. Immediately, Elphaba freed her frozen friends before landing next to the eagle, her magic crackling at her fingertips.

"This has gone on long enough. Where is the King?" Elphaba demanded. Burcin transformed back into a human and spat blood on Elphaba's dress.

"The King is dead," she sneered.

"Then so shall you be," Elphaba said, grabbing the witch by the throat.


	23. Chapter 23

"Stop!" Adalet ordered. Elphaba stopped squeezing but did not let her grip loosen. The Queen moved from her spot and walked up to the green woman, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"She is your mother, I do not wish to do it but she has killed your husband. One way or the other she will have to pay for what she has done," Elphaba told her.

"I know," the Queen said shakily, she had no idea how it had all come to this but here they stood. Avantador took the opportunity to turn his attention to the Griffin holding Glinda. The forest was now completely in the dark, the moon was the only way to light their surroundings. Avantador grabbed a good sized tree branch from a nearby tree, broke it off, and drove it into the ground before lighting the top on fire. It illuminated the area for everyone to be able to see.

"Release Lady Glinda. Your master has been defeated," he ordered and held out his large hand for Glinda to be set upon. The Griffin bowed his head and released the blonde into Avantador's custody. The dragon gently set her down next to Fiyero who took her into his arms, examining her wounds.

"Can you use a healing spell Lin?" He asked.

"Griffin wounds cannot be healed by magic, much like the ones of a dragon," the Griffin said as he left the tree and landed nearby.

"He speaks the truth. I'm afraid bandages will be the best we can do until we return to the Palace," Avantador told him. Both Fiyero and Glinda gave him a look as if they couldn't believe what he just said.

"Magical conundrum, I'm afraid," he shrugged before turning his attention back to Elphaba. Fiyero ripped the sleeves of his shirt off and then took a look at Glinda's wounds. He asked her for an illumination spell as the fire had been helpful but it was not bright enough for him to see well enough the damage caused by the mystical creature.

"Now, what have your Majesties decided for our prisoner?" Avantador wanted to know.

"Regrettably, she is not lying. The King's death explains why the location spell didn't work. The Queen needs you to confine our captive so she can ask her some questions," Elphaba explained before letting go of the Witch of the South.

"Gladly," the dragon responded and he nimbly took her in his grasp.

"Answer the Queen truthfully or you will suffer the consequences," he narrowed his eyes at her. The elderly witch gave him a look and he gave her a squeeze, her already broken ribs, crunched under the weight.

"You'll just kill me anyway, what is my incentive?" She asked.

"Don't do as the Queen requires of you and you won't get a last chance to say goodbye to your daughter. I will end you and it will not be pleasant," Avantador snarled. Surprisingly, Burcin caved and quickly the Queen got to speaking with her mother.

"How bad is it?" Glinda asked, worried that her baby could be in danger.

"Well I wouldn't recommend flying in a bubble anytime soon. One good bounce and things could get messy…" Elphaba swallowed hard, realizing that her friend's wounds were worse than she thought. The Griffin's claws had dug in deep due to the fact that human flesh was basically like warm butter underneath them. It was part of the reason that at one time the Griffin had been feared by anyone who crossed one. The deference had dwindled once the rifle had been invented and one no longer had to get close to kill one.

"My baby…" the blonde began to sniffle.

"Hold strong Glinda. I won't let you or your baby go," Elphaba promised, giving her best friend's hand a squeeze.

"Suggestions?" Fiyero asked; the shirt sleeves he had pressed against the wounds were now soaked in blood. He'd seen similar slashes from swords but regrettably most of them were on corpses.

"I can help. If you'll let me," the Griffin said.

"How? You said magic will not fix it and we have no medical equipment here," Elphaba said hotly.

"There is a plant that will slow the bleeding but you must let me fly to it. I can be back very shortly," he said.

"Go. But if you do not come back, know that I will hunt you down and you will not like it when I find you," Elphaba hissed. He nodded and quickly took off in flight. She turned to Fiyero and told him to keep the pressure on the wounds until the Griffin could return.

"Do you smell that?" A second Griffin, suddenly asked, his question directed at Avantador.

"Flying Monkeys. It would seem that Chistery has sent help," the dragon said.

"How far out do you think they are?" Elphaba asked.

"I could not say but it seems like they are far away as their smell is faint," he explained. Elphaba frowned but didn't get a chance to say anything else.

"My mother has given me the location of Haluk's body," Adalet spoke up, she was near tears.

"Good. Avantador, you need to take her to the Palace and I will join you. We can't move Glinda until we get the bleeding stopped and the wound sewn up. Your wings are the fastest way to the Palace and help," Elphaba said before casting spell and knocking the witch out.

"Hop on and hold on tight," Avantador said, getting low for her to climb onto his back.


	24. Chapter 24

Avantador hurled himself above the trees and his sharp eagle eyes spotted the Flying Monkeys. He frowned and quickly alerted Elphaba to something he noticed.

"They are flying much slower than they should be," the dragon said. Elphaba turned carefully to look at what he meant. They seemed an incredibly far distance away and she agreed.

"Fly toward them. We need to see what the trouble is," she told him. Avantador nodded and used his wings to the best of his ability and quickly caught up to the Monkeys.

"Avantador!" The scouting Monkey by the name of Bakree practically saluted right on the spot.

"Lady Glinda is in need of assistance. We are flying back to the Palace for medical supplies. We need you to reach the Queen and the Prince as quickly as you can," the dragon explained.

"We are ahead of the group. Captain Asli insisted on following us after Chistery ordered us to find you," Bakree told them regarding his small group of three Monkeys.

"Two of you, with all haste, head toward the smell of something burning. The others probably won't make it until daybreak at the rate they are going," Elphaba ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" With that Bakree sent his two compatriots ahead.

"I will inform the others. Good luck and swift wings, Miss Elphaba and Avantador," Bakree bowed and then headed back toward the group. The dragon quickly picked up the pace and within thirty minutes they reached the Palace. Quickly, Elphaba ordered Burcin into the cell that the now powerless Wizard was in, in the infirmary. The Wizard was moved out and chained to the bed next to the cell and Elphaba enchanted the chains to be on the safe side.

"Doctor Magi we need you. Lady Glinda has been hurt and I cannot heal her with a spell," Elphaba explained to the Royal Vinkun Physician.

"Right away Princess," Magi grabbed his bag along with surgical supplies.

"Did you meet up with the Captain?" Lieutenant Ash wanted to know.

"No but we did get some Flying Monkeys to speed up their journey. We need to go," Elphaba knew it would take some time to get back to Glinda and she worried that if the Griffin hadn't returned that they might already be too late.

"What are we to do with the Witch?" Chistery asked.

"She killed King Haluk. She is not to leave her cell," Elphaba ordered before leaving the infirmary with the Royal Vinkun Physician.

"How are we going to get to Lady Glinda?" Magi wanted to know.

"Hope you like to fly Doctor," the green woman smiled slightly as they exited the Palace and Avantador scooped them up.

"I'm going to try and break a record to get back to Lady Glinda, perhaps it would be best if I held onto you," Avantador admitted. Elphaba nodded and he quickly took to the skies. Doctor Magi almost immediately felt ill, not being used to his feet leaving the ground in such a manner. Still he swallowed what threatened to come back up down.

Meanwhile, the Griffin did in fact return and Fiyero had used the plant on Glinda. The blonde complained that it hurt but once the plant had taken affect the bleeding did remarkably slow. Adalet, despite being distracted by the news of her husband, tried to do as Fiyero asked but they were woefully underprepared for such an occurrence. The Griffins helped to build a fire not far away from the humans so that Glinda could be kept warm.

"Prince Fiyero! Queen Adalet!" Two of the Flying Monkey's landed near the house and then quickly approached them.

"You guys are a sight for sore eyes," Fiyero smiled slightly.

"Miss Elphaba alerted us to the trouble. Captain Asli and the others should be here by dawn," the one named, Ashok, explained.

"How much longer until Elphaba gets back?" The Prince wanted to know, figuring that the blonde didn't have until dawn if they couldn't do something quick.

"We do not know," Ashok shrugged, "How can we be of assistance?" He asked. Fiyero felt Glinda's head and noted the blonde had become clammy.

"We need to keep Glinda warmer. Find blankets or something we can use, inside the carriage," he pointed to the vehicle which still had the horses attached. They nodded and headed to it.

"Hang in there Lin. Help is on the way," Fiyero told her, squeezing her hand. He then realized that she did not squeeze his hand back. Looking down, it was then that he came to the horrible realization that she'd fallen unconscious.


	25. Chapter 25

The sun peeked over the distant mountains and light slowly filtered its way down to the ground. The sound of wings flapping and horses beating the ground with their hooves soon reached those that had spent their night on the forest floor.

"Glinda!" The shout of the Captain of the Gale Force rousted everyone. He practically fell off his horse; his legs weren't working from riding for so long. The Sergeant went about getting the horses' water as Asli stumbled his way to his bride. The blonde only moaned and Elphaba quickly bolted upright, glad that her friend had made a noise.

"It's been a long night," the green woman said to the Captain.

"She seems feverish," Asli told her, noting that the hand he had put on the blonde's forehead was getting warmer than it already was.

"Well that is to be expected. Doctor Magi gave her some medicine and stitched her up so we could transport her this morning. Avantador will fly her and the good doctor out of here and to the Palace so he can get a better look at her," Elphaba explained.

"Why didn't your magic work?" Asli didn't understand.

"A wound caused by magical beings cannot be healed by magic. Apparently they did not teach us that at Shiz," the green woman shook her head. The Captain let out a loud breath and looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Doctor Magi is one of the best. He will help her once they get back to the Palace," Fiyero reassured him.

"It is first light, we should be on our way," Avantador spoke up.

"Yes, I agree. The sooner I can get Lady Glinda into a more sterile environment, the better," Magi spoke up.

"What about our child?" Asli asked.

"It is much too early to tell Captain but I promise I will do everything I can to save them both," the doctor promised, clapping Asli's upper arm to try and reassure him.

"I should go with you," he said.

"Regrettably, we need you here. King Haluk has been murdered and we must find his body to bring back to the Palace," Elphaba spoke up as Avantador gently scooped up Glinda and Doctor Magi. He was off in an instant and everyone hoped that Glinda would be all right.

"Murdered? By whom?" Asli couldn't believe it.

"My grandmother," Fiyero scowled. The Captain did not know what to say to that.

"We took her into custody yesterday and dropped her back off at the Palace. She's now locked in an enchanted cell in the infirmary," Elphaba told him.

"And the Wizard?" Asli wanted to know.

"He only had powers because Fiyero's grandmother gave them to him. She was attempting to conceal her presence and her intent was to rid Oz of me and the Wizard," the witch explained.

"So why did the King have to die?" The Captain asked.

"Mother never liked Haluk. She did it more or less because he'd served his purpose and she had no further use for him," Adalet spoke up for the first time.

"I am very sorry," Asli offered his condolences.

"We must find his body and bring it back to the Palace. He should be buried properly," Adalet said. Asli nodded.

"I think we should eat first. Our horses are in no shape to continue after riding all night," Sergeant Stewart told them.

"Agreed. We can let them rest and borrow the horses that are attached to the carriage. Do we know where we are going?" The Captain asked.

"My grandmother gave us a location. Our guess is that it is near the actual cabin she was staying in. This one was obviously a decoy," Fiyero heaved a sigh.

"Good because we don't have enough supplies to be out here for more than one more day and it is going to take us at least a day on horseback to get back to the Palace," Stewart said. Fiyero nodded and they quickly went about eating a small breakfast before heading deeper into the woods.


	26. Chapter 26

"I hate to say it but do you think she gave us bad directions on purpose?" Elphaba asked as the noon hour approached. She had been riding her broom since they were out of horses. The Captain, Sergeant Stewart, Fiyero, and Queen Adalet were riding along on the horses that had once been attached to the carriage.

"There was a time when I would have said no but now…" Adalet heaved a sigh.

"I have scouted ahead. We are nearing the base of the mountain," Nat announced.

"Then we have to be close," Fiyero said.

"Agreed. I hope that we can reach the cabin soon. All this riding is doing nothing for my backside," Stewart spoke up. Asli chuckled for he understood the pain his subordinate was in.

"I smell something foul," Ashok scrunched his nose up.

"I know what you mean brother," Nat suddenly noticed it as well. Meanwhile the humans gave them both looks as they had yet to smell anything yet as a confirmation Adalet's horse snorted.

"What does it smell like?" Elphaba asked.

"Death," Ashok said.

"Then we're very close," Fiyero heaved a sigh. Elphaba could tell he was trying to keep it together for his mother but she wondered how much longer either of them could hold out before they were forced to acknowledge the truth.

"Let us scout ahead again Prince Fiyero. It would not be best for you or your mother to find him," Nat suggested.

"I appreciate the offer but we have to put him in the carriage. One way or the other we will have to see him however he is," Fiyero gave the Flying Monkey a slight smile. Nat nodded but scooted out in front of the group some more and Ashok joined him.

It didn't take long for both Monkeys to be overcome by the smell of rotting flesh and by now they had travelled far enough that the humans in the group could smell it too. Elphaba was trying to think of something positive to say but the best thing she could come up was the fact that they probably wouldn't have to dig King Haluk up, even better because none of them had a shovel. Inwardly she cringed. She should be more upset, after all he was Fiyero's father but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to be. Perhaps it was because the man had tried to kill her or maybe it was because the rumors were true. Very few people had actually entered her heart and broke down the walls that she'd carefully constructed over the years. Either way she wondered what it meant for her and just how broken she might be.

"Please Prince Fiyero, you do not need to see this," the words of Nat broke her concentration and introspection. The next thing she heard was retching. Elphaba turned her head to see the Queen losing the breakfast they had eaten hours ago. She put her broom down and went to see if she could help the woman.

"Fiyero, he's right. Remember your father as he was. The Sergeant and I have this. We'll take good care of him," Asli put a hand on his shoulder and Fiyero nodded before turning away. Elphaba looked up from where she was helping Adalet and instead of sadness or grief, he looked angry. She'd seen that look before.

"Yero…" she started.

"He's been dead for days. She killed him the minute he arrived from the Emerald City," he ground his teeth.

"Yero…" Elphaba cautioned.

"She will pay for this," Fiyero said.


	27. Chapter 27

Glinda awoke in a fog. She hurt all over and it was hard to concentrate. A moan escaped her lips and then she could hear the room seem to come alive as shoes could be heard hitting the hard marble floors.

"Lady Glinda, how are you feeling?" Doctor Magi asked.

"Everything hurts," she managed to mumble.

"I bet it does. I'll give you some more pain medication," Magi smiled slightly.

"What about the baby?" The blonde wanted to know.

"I've been giving you low doses of medication so it doesn't harm the baby. You're not far enough along for me to try and guess about the baby. The nurses and I are doing everything we can," he explained.

"Where is my husband?" Glinda was hoping he was around.

"He is still out in the field. I hope that he and the rest of the group will be back soon. Avantador does not want to leave to get them while there is no one here to protect the kingdom. The news of the King's death will spread. While Oz will mourn with the Vinkus, there will be questions and doubts raised. I can only imagine what upheaval will come. Queen Adalet will rule until Fiyero is of age and there is still stability in the family so let us hope that things will be quiet," Magi told her. The blonde only nodded and the doctor quickly got up to fetch more medication for the leader of Oz.

Meanwhile, out in the forest, Asli and Sergeant Stewart carefully scooped up the body of King Haluk. It was not easy given the state of the body but they did the best that they could. They both realized that trying to get the King back to the Palace was not going to work. Fiyero was steaming and Elphaba was trying to calm him and comfort the Queen. Asli recognized that without Elphaba's magic, the King would need to be buried out here in the woods. Sure that Fiyero would be in no mood to hear about burying his father out in the middle of nowhere, the Captain asked Elphaba if he could borrow her. She nodded and they moved toward the body and away from the two people who were grieving in their own ways.

"What can I do?" She asked.

"I don't know but I do know that Fiyero will not handle me telling him that we can't move his father's remains," Asli swallowed.

"It's that bad, isn't it?" Elphaba asked.

"Regrettably, I have seen bodies in the various stages of death and this is very bad. We're lucky that there is actually something left besides bones. The wildlife and Burcin did a number on him. Far as I can figure, he did not die a quick death," the Captain explained. Elphaba heaved a sigh. No wonder Fiyero was very upset. Anyone would be upset but as she moved over toward the remains she now understood Fiyero's rage. Despite her non-existent relationship with the King, no one deserved what she saw. While she did not have very much medical training due to her ability to use her magic to heal, she knew the holes in both of Haluk's kneecaps were not from animals eating the remains. The holes in his stomach and the one in his head told her what she needed to know. Burcin may have had magical powers but she decided to not use them to kill the King. Bullet wounds were bullet wounds which made the witch wonder if Burcin had had help. Elphaba swallowed hard and tried to think of a spell she could use. Finding one would be tricky; she wanted to solidify the body without making it breakable. An idea hit her and she got to work.


	28. Chapter 28

"I know you're following us. Stealth is hard to achieve when your feathered wings are so large," Elphaba turned her head away from the fire and smirked. The Griffins came out of their semi-hiding in the upper reaches of the large pine trees. There were six of them, more than when the group had confronted Burcin. The rest of the groups' eyes went wide at the sight before them. Elphaba figured since they were bedding down for the night back at the old cabin which they had faced the elder witch at, they might as well talk before heading out in the morning. They had made good headway since leaving the place where they had found the King's body however they were at least a day from clearing the forest, possibly more, since the carriage slowed them down quite a bit.

"Forgive us Princess Elphaba. We did not want to intrude but we feared for your safety. The night out here can be filled with danger," the large Griffin, who had held Glinda, spoke up.

"Kind of you considering everything that has happened," she gave him a look.

"Again we must ask for forgiveness. Burcin had us convinced that you were with the Wizard and meant us harm. You must understand. We are all that is left," he heaved a sigh.

"Just you six?" Elphaba softened.

"As far as we know. Burcin offered us sanctuary in the forest and we took it. She hid us well as the Gale Force made their efforts to eradicate us," he explained.

"Well that time is over. The Wizard is caught and I will see that both he and Burcin get what is coming to them," she promised.

"We have been promised many things and none of them have been true since the reign of the Wizard started," he pointed out.

"Well I will assure you and your brethren that you have a safe place in the Vinkus. As Queen I will see to it," Adalet spoke up, rising from her place on the forest floor. The six Griffins bowed their heads.

"Then we will do as our ancestors have and we will protect the Vinkus along with you, Prince Fiyero, and Princess Elphaba," the Griffin smiled.

"Then I must have all of your names so that we are properly introduced," the Queen smiled back.

"I am Baki; behind me to my left is my wife, Dilan, with our son, Ilhan. Next to them are Efe, his wife Feray, and their daughter, Leila," he said, making the introductions.

"It is an honor to meet you all. I must apologize for my mother," Adalet started.

"It is not your fault. We are only sorry that we did not know what had happened to the King. We would not have allowed her to harm him," Baki told her.

"For that I thank you. Please accompany us back to the Palace. I want the whole of Oz to know that you and your fellow Griffins are now under my protection and anyone who has a problem with that will deal with the whole of the Vinkus," Adalet was firm and Fiyero, whose anger seemed to have diminished slightly, stood up next to her, to show that he felt the same way.

"I am not sure what mood Lady Glinda will be in but I can assure you that I will make it known that the Emerald City stands with the Vinkus," Elphaba nodded.

"Lady Glinda will understand. While I know that she would not appreciate me speaking for her, I have a duty to the people and Animals of Oz as Captain of the Gale Force. I must extend my apologies for what the Gale Force was ordered to do. While I was not a soldier at the time, plenty of good men were forced to and I know that they are haunted by it," Asli stood and looked Baki directly in the face, to let him know that he was truly sorry.

"We appreciate it Captain," Baki gave a slight tilt of his head.

"I suggest we get some sleep. Tomorrow comes early if we intend to get to the Palace before Princess Elphaba's spell wears off," Sergeant Stewart spoke up.

"Maybe we can get everyone there faster," Baki had a look on his face.


	29. Chapter 29

It was late afternoon the following day when a cry went up at the Palace walls. Avantador stopped the men from using their rifles as he could see that the Griffins were not alone. He flew to them and Elphaba quickly explained that the horses needed to be picked up. The dragon promised to be back as quickly as he could and took off at full speed.

"My Queen!" The Lieutenant on the ground inside the courtyard where they had landed exclaimed. He quickly helped her down from Baki's back and helped steady her now that she was on solid ground again.

"Lieutenant, inform the kingdom. Tomorrow we bury my husband with the honor he deserves," she told him.

"Yes, your Highness. What shall I do with our new friends?" He asked, warily eyeing the Griffins.

"Give them the respect they deserve and help them find food and a place to rest. I will address the Vinkus about them in due time," Adalet said.

"Yes, your Highness," he nodded and quickly went off to handle his tasks. Two more soldiers approached them and went to retrieve the King's body from Efe's back when Elphaba stopped them.

"You better let me handle him. Where are we moving him too?" She asked, cautious not to mention that the body could fall apart in a matter of moments. Her spell was fading and she needed to cast another.

"This way Princess," they bowed and Efe followed Elphaba. Once out of view, she leaned back and whispered to the large Griffin,

"I'll help get you all cleaned up. I am sorry that you had to carry him all this way."

"Not to worry Princess. It is an honor to carry the King to his final resting place," Efe smiled slightly and the two soldiers led them into a small brick building where the royal stone craftsman was chiseling the headstone required for the King.

"His casket is right here," the man smiled slightly and the soldiers lifted the lid. Carefully, Elphaba cast a spell to levitate the King off of Efe's back and into the casket. Once inside, she chanted another spell that would hopefully hold the body together for the ceremony tomorrow.

"You are in need of a bath my good sir," the stone craftsman said to the Griffin.

"Indeed I am. If you wouldn't mind pointing me to the stables, I shall get cleaned up," Efe smiled slightly, surprised at the man's good nature.

"Once you exit the building make a left. You can't miss it," the man smiled and Elphaba followed Efe outside in order to help the magnificent creature as she had promised.

They were not in the stables long when the sound of Avantador's wings could be heard. Elphaba excused herself for a moment and headed outside. The dragon was gently setting the horses down in the courtyard and the soldiers, Sergeant Stewart among them, were trying to corral them. Needless to say, flying was something the horses did not do and certainly could not understand. Avantador apologized for getting them all riled up but the men just waved it off, just glad to have the animals safe inside the Palace walls instead of out in the forest. The Flying Monkeys assisted and in no time, the animals were calmed and being led back to the stables.

Upstairs in the castle, Adalet told Fiyero and the Captain that they should get cleaned up before visiting Glinda. They were all filthy from their trip and the Captain was eager to see his wife. Fiyero directed him to the room that Asli and eventually Glinda would stay in and the Captain rushed to get clean. Fiyero, however, had other ideas, and instead of going to his room, he made his way down to the infirmary.


	30. Chapter 30

"I'm afraid you're dirtier than when you came in here," Efe chuckled after the witch helped him get all cleaned up. Her dress had mud all over it up to her knees and despite trying to stay dry, she hadn't managed it.

"That might be true," Elphaba smirked, knowing that she hadn't exactly been smelling like a rose before and now the added smell of wet dog was just charming.

"Forgive me Princess but would you like me to assist you to the servants' quarters? They could help you get cleaned up before you head inside the Palace," the stable boy offered as he came by to make sure that Efe was getting fed. Griffins typically feasted on a fresh kill of deer or elk but the best the Palace had was some rabbits. Though a hunting party was being assembled and they promised to be back with something more suitable for their honored guests.

"That might be a good idea. I certainly wouldn't want to get anything on the Palace floors," Elphaba shook her head at the thought.

"Right this way then," the boy smiled and Elphaba said goodbye to Efe. She followed the stable boy out to a structure directly behind the Palace and one of the maids quickly let her in.

"I do apologize for this inconvenice but I smell awful and am covered in mud," the green woman said as the maid helped her get her shoes off and hold up her skirts so they didn't touch the ground.

"Nonsense, your Majesty. We'll get you cleaned up in no time," she smiled. The maid then led the Princess to a communal bathroom where they started to try and peel her dress off.

"Well can I at least have your name so I can thank you?" Elphaba wanted to know. The maid opened her mouth but instead of her speaking, the door to the main building slammed open. Both ladies looked at each other confused before the maid stood at the door and poked her head outside of the room, careful to not expose the now half-naked Princess.

"Ernest! What are you doing? I have the Princess in here!" She yelled at him.

"Prince Fiyero has gone off the rails! The Gale Force just had to restrain him! He tried to kill the witch!" Ernest explained through his heavy breathing. It was obvious the man had hauled butt to get out of the way of the Prince who was obviously not having a good day.

"Find the Queen and tell her that I'm helping the Princess clean up. Then tell her we'll get her over to the Palace as soon as possible. Tell Betsy to bring me some clean clothes for the Princess," the maid ordered. Elphaba couldn't see what happened next but she assumed the man nodded and then took off as the outside door shut once again.

"I need to go," the green woman said.

"Nonsense. You need to clean up. I'm sure that it isn't as bad as Ernest makes it sound," she brushed it off but Elphaba had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that wouldn't go away. The fastest way to get to Fiyero was to get in and out of the tub.

In the infirmary, Asli walked in after hearing all the hullabaloo. He was much cleaner and feeling refreshed right up until he saw Fiyero chained to a chair surrounded by Gale Force and the Queen. He wanted to know what happened but he wedeled his way past the crowd and found his beloved.

"Glinda how are you feeling?" He asked, taking a seat in the chair next to her bed.

"Better now that you are here. The doctor isn't sure how our baby is doing. He said it is too early to tell," the blonde was on the verge of tears. Asli slipped from his chair and sat down on the bed before leaning down and gently embracing the small woman.

"You are not alone. We will get through this together," he promised after he pulled away. Glinda carefully moved her hand and cupped his cheek.

"How did I get so lucky?" She asked.

"How did I?" He smiled at her.

"Fiyero just stormed in here and tried to kill the lady in the cell. Who is she and why would he do that?" She wanted to know; knowing that her husband would have the answers and that he wanted to know what was going on. The blonde knew him too well already and they hadn't been together that long.

"She is his grandmother and she killed the King," he told her.

"Where is Elphie?" Glinda asked, suddenly very concerned for her friend.

"She is fine and my guess is that she's on her way given what Fiyero has just done," Asli told her. He looked over at the woman in the cell, who seemed to be enjoying the Queen berating her son. Then the Captain turned his gaze to Fiyero, the seething rage was still evident. Asli leaned down and kissed Glinda's forehead and promised her that he'd be back.


	31. Chapter 31

The funeral was in the afternoon the next day. The procession was solemn and the only noise that could be heard was the clip-clop of the horses' hooves as they pulled the cart that carried the coffin of the former King of the Vinkus down the city streets. Elphaba expected that there would be crying but perhaps the shock of such a well beloved royal was still there. His behavior toward her had been an anomaly and now she wished she'd had a chance to meet the real King.

Queen Adalet tried to stay composed as she spoke of her husband in the eulogy. She made it about halfway before she burst into tears and Fiyero quickly went to her side from his seat behind her in the large meeting hall which was often used for very important ceremonies such as this. Elphaba offered to hold her while Fiyero finished for his mother and he nodded. He had not said much since the day before. She hadn't pressed, knowing that eventually the grief would spill over and she would help him through it.

Once outside, the coffin was wheeled to its final resting place. Elphaba silently thanked any deity that happened to be listening that her last spell had held. The moment the dirt was on top of the coffin, she knew the body would not hold much longer. Although she knew it did not matter as long as everyone could say their goodbyes; they were more important than knowing what would happen when the spell failed.

Glinda was still not well enough to be there but Asli made sure that the blonde's condolences were known. He promised that after the dinner hour, at that same hall, he would inform the kingdom as to what was next. Elphaba could tell that some were nervous and some gave her questioning looks. Without a King, the foes of the Arjiki could take the opportunity to attack, or perhaps the new Princess would take the opportunity to remove the obstacles in her way to ruling the Vinkus. Elphaba wished she could belay their fears but she knew that actions would speak louder than words.

Later, while Asli was informing the public, Elphaba stood out on the patio of her and Fiyero's room, staring up at the night sky. Fiyero was with his mother, making sure she was doing ok. It wasn't the first night she'd have the master bedroom to herself but today's events made it more real and noticeable.

"A penny for your thoughts Princess," Avantador said. He and the Griffins had been guarding the city walls in order to allow the soldiers to be part of the funeral procession. Now the soldiers had retaken their posts and the magnificent creatures were retiring for the evening. The dragon had been sleeping in the large courtyard which allowed his access to the balconies that looked out into it.

"I must return to the Emerald City tomorrow. Asli needs me to help keep an eye on the prisoner while his men keep an eye on the Wizard," she sighed.

"A big job to be sure. Do you need backup?" He offered.

"That is kind of you but Chistery and his brothers will be assisting me. The Queen and Fiyero will need your help here. The region could become unstable with the King's death. No one will challenge the Arjiki, however, with you here," Elphaba pointed out.

"True but I cannot offer the emotional support they both need," the dragon said.

"I do hate to leave them now but the longer Burcin stays in the Vinkus, the better the chance something bad will happen. She needs to be locked up away from any possible allies and held accountable for what she has done. The bigger issue is that I know she had help killing the King but I have no idea who it could be. I've effectively ruled out the Wizard so that leaves at least one human being out there that is willing to do her bidding," she shook her head.

"I trust you have alerted the Vinkun soldiers about this?" Avantador wanted to know.

"Yes and Baki and his fellow Griffins have promised to keep an eye out for anyone that they might recognize," the Princess nodded.

"Excellent. Well have yourself a good night Princess. Prince Fiyero is going to need you. The lights in his mother's room have just gone out," the dragon smiled and then left the side of the balcony. Elphaba called good night to him and then quickly retreated to the warmth of the room she shared with her husband. Closing the balcony doors and checking on the fire, she settled on the bed, trying to figure out how she could get Fiyero to open up. She didn't have long to think as he walked into their room looking tired and worn. He collapsed on the bed next to her.

"Yero, my hero, please let me help you," she said, pulling him into her arms. For the first time since they had discovered his father's body, Fiyero wept.


	32. Chapter 32

A few days later as the caravan pulled into the Emerald City, they were welcomed with an audience. News of the King's death and the resurrection of the Griffins had spread quickly. Asli promised that a formal announcement would be made regarding the people's concerns soon. That seemed to placate the crowd but Elphaba still had an uneasy feeling.

They reached the entrance to Southstairs and Burcin was quickly pulled from her spot on the covered wagon; the enchanted chains on her wrists and ankles preventing her from using her powers. Despite the fact that she had to know what was coming, the elderly witch behaved as though nothing was wrong. She struggled with her captors only until Elphaba had conjured up an energy ball and threatened to use it on her. The Wizard however was much more subdued and Elphaba wondered why. She figured he would try to use his charms on anyone who would listen but he remained silent most of the trip.

Once the witch was locked in her cell, Elphaba quickly enchanted it, so that the chains could be removed from her. The Wizard was sent to a standard cell and once again put up no fuss. Certain the prisoners were secure, Elphaba then left to meet with Asli and the Judge who would be presiding over the case. Needless to say, the Vinkuns had wanted to try the woman who killed their king and the man who had attacked their Prince and Princess in the Vinkus but knowing that both wouldn't get a fair trial there, Asli had insisted on doing it properly. Of course the ulterior motive was to get Burcin out of the Vinkus and away from anyone sympathetic to her cause. No one was sympathetic to the Wizard but the Emerald City had rights to him as well. Burcin, however, was unknown to the people of the Emerald City and it would be a good opportunity to prove that the people of the city stood with those in the Vinkus.

The meeting with the Judge went quickly. Familiar with needing to have the defendant restrained, magically and physically, he suggested a legal aid attorney who had worked on the Morrible case. Both Elphaba and Asli agreed that that was best, seeing as there was great risk involved. The trial would start in the morning, which was in everyone's best interest. The Wizard's trial would take place afterwards, allowing the man to rot in Southstairs for a little while, which might make him more conducive to a plea deal.

Asli and Elphaba then had lunch together in her office while discussing how to make the announcement to everyone. Mindy was glad to have them back and she quickly fluttered between them and anything they needed. Once they were completely alone, Elphaba said,

"I have a major concern that no matter what happens with the trial that whoever helped Burcin kill King Haluk will surface. We have no idea just how loyal this person is or what they are capable of."

"Agreed. I don't want to worry the good citizens of Oz by doubling the guard but that might be our only option," Asli frowned.

"Perhaps it is best to make this person believe that we think Burcin did it on her own. This way we can keep an eye out without raising the alarm," she suggested.

"Morrible wasn't the only one who knew how to keep good spies. I'll send them out amongst the people. See what they can find. Our perpetrator is most likely in the Vinkus but I fear we cannot rule anyone or anywhere out," the Captain said.

"Agreed. If Burcin could hide the Griffins so well then hiding a human accomplice would have been cake," Elphaba frowned.

"I don't really want to think about it but yes. The Queen, how was she with all of this? I mean it is her mother," Asli shifted topics.

"She told me that the Emerald City had her blessing to do whatever was necessary. It wasn't a decision that she came to lightly but what could she do? Her mother murdered her husband and sent the both her husband and the Wizard to kill me. The woman she knew was long gone and her love had been replaced with hatred and anger," she sighed. Asli nodded and then stood from the chair on the other side of Elphaba's desk.

"I think we are ready to tell them what they need to know. I will send for a Bird afterwards so that you may write a letter to Fiyero and his mother," the Captain smiled slightly.

"Yes thank you. I want them to know what is going on and that everything is being handled in their absence," Elphaba smiled slightly back.

"Well then it is off we go to speak to the people of Oz," Asli said and he moved toward the door. Elphaba's mind still raced as the two of them made their speech. Most in the audience seemed pleased and there wasn't much of a fuss. Soon afterward, Elphaba had finished crafting a letter and it was sent on its way. Later, while she lie awake in her semi-empty bed, she worried that this was far from over and she was right.

**The End**


End file.
